Passing the High Note
by brnkofeternity06
Summary: As a Senior in high school, Bella tries to run away from her life in Phoenix and goes to live with her father in Forks. The last thing she expects is to make friends or have a best friend. And after making an unexpected acquaintance in Jasper Whitlock, her life quickly flips over. What's more is his best friend has Bella... falling in love? ExB Full Summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Note: They are all Seniors in high school.**

**A/N: So here's my new story. I'll tell you now that it contains dark stuff and it can get emotional. This is just the beginning. Enjoy and tell me what you think ;)**

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Chapter 1:

I looked out the plain's window as I took deep calming breaths. I looked down at my hands before looking back out the window and ignoring the Pilot's words and watched as we descended from the sky.

Renee, my mom, had tried to call me at least twenty times already but I just ignored her calls. I didn't want to shut her out but I just didn't want to feel the pain. I wanted to be oblivious at least for a moment. It wasn't fair that my life was turned upside down and ripped at what seemed the seams in just a matter of two days. Two long days.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and got up from my seat and grabbed my duffel bag knowing that Charlie, my dad and the Police Chief of Forks, Washington, had gotten them earlier in the week and they were already waiting for me in the house. I pulled my zipper up and pulled my hood on as I left the plane and quietly maneuvered and weaved my way around everyone as I went out of the airport and looking for Charlie's cruiser which was supposed to be waiting for me.

I saw a guy in a police uniform holding up a sign with my name on it.

_Great. Charlie couldn't make it._ I thought and decided to take matters into my own hands. I pulled my hood closer to my face and quickly put myself in with the crowd so that I blended in with the rest of the people. Not a hard task since I had always been invisible back in Phoenix and I prefered it that way.

I was glad that I was wearing two tank tops, a shirt, a sweater, and a rain jacket which kept me warm and kept the water from getting to me. I walked away from the airport and decided to walk home smiling happily to myself when I saw the officer run a hand through his hair and get in the cruiser before driving away. I was walking along the shoulder of the road wanting to get home when the rain picked up.

In true fashion, I ended up tripping and falling to the ground. I groaned and got up before realizing that for the first time, I hadn't tripped over my own feet or over thin air. But I had actually tripped over a pair of feet. I stood up carefully before walking cautiously over to the body yet keeping a safe distance from his body. It was a body of a boy around my age. His hair was a dirty blond and his face was filled with bruises and cuts. I realized a moment later that the boy had probably been beaten up.

I started to panic as my previous pain filled thoughts flew out of my head and I was trying to figure out what to do.

_Take him home?_ No! I don't even know who the hell he is!

_Call the cops?_ Oh yeah that will go great over with Charlie. Yeah. How about, "Hey, Charlie. I found a body on the shoulder of the road. Oh? What am I doing on the shoulder of the road? Well, I decided to take a good long walk and-"

My thoughts were interrupted by a pained groan. My eyes snapped to the boy who had managed to turn onto his side and was looking at me through half-lidded crystal eyes.

"Um, hi. What's you're name?" I asked him at the same time that he croaked, "Who are you?" through a raspy squeak.

"Bella." I said without thinking and blushed before ducking my head. I immediately rushed to him when he started to fall back and his strength started to fail him.

"I'm Jasper... Whitlock." he grunted as I helped him sit up.

"Well, it's uh," I cleared my throat as I helped him sit up against a tree carefully, "nice to meet you, Jasper."

"You're not... mad?" he asked me looking wary yet confused.

"Mad? Should I be?" I asked him confused at his question.

"I lost the game for the school. I guess that I deserve this." he muttered and winced as he moved suddenly before flinching and groaning in pain.

I bit my lip before squatting down in front of him. "I'm not mad, Jasper. But I would like to help you... if you would like?" I said it like a question. He looked at me with surprised eyes before nodding slowly.

"Do you have a car?" he asked me.

"No. But I do have a cell phone. But I can't really-"

"Don't call the police." he said suddenly.

"What?" I asked wondering why he didn't want to call the police even though I was just about to tell him that I wouldn't be able to since my dad was the Chief.

"Can you call... a friend of mine?" he asked me looking at me pleadingly.

"Uh, sure." I said as I sat across from him against another tree. "Number?" I asked seeing that his hands were bleeding and dirty. I pulled out a piece of cloth and handed it to him telling him to clean himself off a bit which he thanked me for. He gave me the number quickly and told me to tell the person, Emmett, to drive along the shoulder of the road out of Forks and that he would eventually find us. I did as he told me and found out that Emmett had a deep voice and was Jasper's adopted brother and best friend.

"I'll look for his Jeep and make sure that he sees us." I said after trying to dry his hair out since I was having no luck with his injuries. He nodded and thanked me before I walked a little bit away from him and stood on the shoulder of the road looking for the huge red jeep that Jasper described.

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**A/N: Drop your opinion in the box below and tell me what you think. I'm going to take a note from other authors before me and just tell you now: you don't like? Then don't read. I'm not forcing you to do anything. Until next time :)**

**- Eli**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all for reading. Otherwise, enjoy!**

**Updating: every other day or so :) **

**I'd like to thank ****sujari6**** and Taylor9901**** as being the first people to review my story :) Thank you!**

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Chapter 2:

It had been at least fifteen minutes before a Jeep sped past me and I waved my hands above my arms frantically until I finally caught the driver's attention. He quickly reversed and parked a little in front of where I was standing. A big buff guy stepped out of the jeep matching Jasper's description of Emmett. He was tall, full of muscles, and had dark brown eyes and curly brown hair with a set of dimples. They would have been more prominent had he been smiling. But this was no smiling matter.

"Hey. I'm Emmett. Are you the one who called?" he asked me, walking towards me. He looked intimidating but I decided to put those feelings aside and put up a front of bravery.

"Yes. I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you, Emmett." I said and shook his outstretched hand. He nodded and thanked me before I gestured for him to follow me to where Jasper was.

"Fucking shit, Jazz! What the hell happened?" Emmett boomed startling me as we came upon Jasper's still bloody and dirty figure.

"It was some of the team. Newton and Crowley led it, I guess." Jasper said with a wince. Emmett growled under his breath before going to Jasper. I quickly stopped him and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I think that you should be careful. He has some pretty bad injuries. Some of his ribs are probably broken and he has a few sprains and fractures but he'll be fine over time. It would be wise to treat him with care and not swing him around like a rag doll." I said and he looked at me, surprised.

"Bella, how do you know that medical crap? Did you call anyone?" Emmett asked me looking panicked.

"Uh, no," I said as I tried to assure him, "I'm clumsy." With that, my cheeks flared with blood making him chuckle.

"Okay. Well, what do you suggest, Doc?" he asked me jokingly.

"Do you have a stretcher or a sort of bed to keep him stable?" I asked seriously and he looked at me incredulously.

"No. I was joking Bella." he said and I smiled slightly.

"Well, do you have a tarp for camping or something?" I asked him. "A poncho? Something big?"

"Yeah."

"Go bring it." I said and he nodded. He brought a huge tarp which I fixed and cushioned with some other supplies that he brought thinking that they might be useful. We carefully loaded Jasper on the make-shift stretcher before taking him to the jeep. Between Emmett and I, we had to shift him several times while being careful of his injuries as we laid him in the backseat of the Jeep. I had the most trouble seeing as I couldn't get up and into the Jeep by myself much less lift an injured teenage boy up and into it.

"I'm going on a hunch and say that you don't have a First Aid Kit, right?" I asked Emmett and he shook his head looking at me sheepishly. "Well, then you'll have to have him checked out. Preferably by a doctor." I said and he nodded before thanking me.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" he asked me suddenly as I was gathering my dufflebag and fixing my rain coat.

"I'm fine. Thanks Emmett. I think that you should make getting Jasper to a Doctor your first priority." I said seriously and he sighed.

"Look, Bella. You helped a complete stranger that was beaten up on the side of the road. At least let me help you get to where you were going to in the first place." He said, pouting. I sighed heavily before going to passenger side of the Jeep. He helped me inside before driving away.

I had him park three blocks away from the house not wanting to attract attention. He thanked me once again and I thanked him in return before he drove away. When I got to the house, I opened the door with the key from under the eave before pocketing it.

Charlie came home late and was worried. I had dinner made for him by the time. As I set the table up, I told him that I didn't see the cruiser and decided to walk home since I had enough energy to spare. Thankfully, he bought my lie.

He seemed happy and a bit wary around me which seemed to wear off after dinner and by the time that I went to bed. We had talked about school and he told me that I would be attending school the next day. He had my schedule already and told me that my car would be here from Phoenix before I had to go to school. I had a grey and black 2010 Ford Taurus. It had been a birthday present to myself when I turned seventeen years old.

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**A/N: Drop your opinion in the box below and tell me what you think :) **

**On another note, I'd like to thank all of those who have read and have left a review or are about to :) See you next time! First to review gets a shoutout in the next chapter! haha**

**- Eli**


	3. Chapter 3

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Shoutout to ****Taylor9901**** and ****thelionismine****! Thanks for reading and reviewing. And here's the next chapter :) I will try to answer any questions you have but I'm sorry if I don't get to you quick enough. **

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Chapter 3:

As promised, my car was already parked in the garage by the time that I woke up. Charlie had left for work early and left a note wishing me good luck at school. I was dressed in some of my regular clothes, refusing to wear the ones that Renee managed to stuff in my bags. She had enjoyed buying me a new wardrobe since she was a shopaholic. She enjoyed shopping for me since she didn't approve of my regular clothes but never said anything.

I threw those in a plastic bag and threw them in the garbage can outside of the house as I was heading to my car. I didn't want to have anything from her. I had enough of my own clothes here. Most of them, I had shipped over here before I flew over. This trip had been unplanned but inevitable after all.

"Running late." I muttered as I parked at school before getting out of my car and taking a bite out of my strawberry pop tart before walking away in search for my classes.

"Did you hear about Whitlock?" a tough looking boy snickered as I passed by. I slowed my pace to eavesdrop while looking down at my schedule and pretending to look for my class as I looked at it repeatedly.

"Yeah. I heard he was gone for around two days before someone found him." another boy said.

"Wonder who it was." a boy said off-handedly.

"I heard Emmett found him before taking him away. Mike and Tyler left him in pretty bad shape." the first boy said laughing to himself.

"Michael Newton and Tyler Crowley? Wow. If any of the Cullens or Rosalie find out then those two are so screwed!" one kid cackled. _Michael Newton and Tyler Crowley. I'll keep those names in mind._

I walked away and made it look like a miracle when I actually found my class. The morning passed slowly and I was put in AP classes as well as some Honors and some regular. I was still ahead in all of my classes, though. When lunch came around, I sat outside wanting to have some sort of peace and quiet. Some kids had tried to make conversation with me and act like my friends but that wasn't working out... for them. They were all fake and were just looking around for more gossip.

I met Newton and Crowley and they flirted with me but I brushed them off politely before deciding to ignore them all together.

"Bella?" Emmett's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see a smiling Emmett.  
"Hey, Emmett. What's up?" I asked him.

"Uh, the pasty ceiling?" he said looking up making me laugh.

"What are you doing here all alone? Why aren't you inside the cafeteria?" he asked me looking befuddled. I giggled and smiled at him before rolling my eyes.

"I'm actually just trying to get some peace and quiet. How's Jasper?" I asked him and he sighed before sitting next to me.

"He's doing better now. You were right, you know? He had a few sprains and some messed up ribs. He'll be fine in a few days but he can't come to school in a bit. He has to rest up." he said and I nodded.

"That's good... that he's healing, I mean." I said and he nodded. He playfully stole a few of my fries and I smacked him making him laugh.

"I'm glad that you were there. We'd been looking for him for too long. He had gone missing after the game on Friday. And then he was gone for about two days. Thanks." he said and I shrugged it off.

"Anyone would have done the same. I'm just glad that I got to him before he got really sick or nearly died." I said and he nodded in agreement.

"Enough with the depressing mood. How've you been?" he asked me.

"Well, it's my first day and it's been pretty good lately." I said shrugging and he looked at me questioningly.

"Did you move from La Push or something?" he asked me.

"No. I actually came from Phoenix, Arizona. It's a place where you can actually see the sun." I said dryly and he burst into laughter.

"Emmett?" a girl's voice came from besides us. We both turned to see two gorgeous girls walking towards us. There was a small girl that had olive green eyes and spiky dark hair with designer clothes. Besides her there was a statuesque blond that belonged on the cover of a magazine. She could easily be mistaken for a model and for right reasons. Her blond hair was let loose around her shoulders and was curled slightly, she had pale blue eyes and designer clothes just like the other girl.

"Hey, Rosie." Emmett said smiling a dimpled smile at the blond. She smiled slightly at him before turning to look at me with an appraising gaze.

"This is my girlfriend and sister. Rosalie and Alice." Emmett told me and I smiled and nodded.

"Hi. My name's Isabella but you can call me Bella." I said.

"Rosie is Jasper's cousin." Emmett whispered loudly to me making me laugh.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I said politely making Emmett chuckle.

"You know Jasper?" Alice asked me.

"Alice is Jasper's girlfriend." Emmett stage whispered to me making me bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Thanks Emmett." I whispered back to him. He nodded and looked satisfied. I rolled my eyes at him before turning to Alice who was looking at me worried.

"Uh, oh yes! I'm sorry. Yes, I know Jasper. Not very well but I know him." I said and Emmett nodded in agreement.

"How do you know Emmett?" Rosalie asked me politely but I could see jealousy lingering in her eyes.

"Well, after I met Jasper, I met Emmett." I said and Emmett nodded again.

"I haven't seen you around here." Rosalie noted.

"I'm new. I just came here yesterday." I said and I saw them put the puzzle pieces together.

"You found Jasper?" Alice whispered to me.

"Yes. I was walking home. I," I cleared my throat as blood began to pool in my cheeks, "tripped over him."

"Wow. You really are clumsy." Emmett muttered and I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." I said and he chuckled.

"Thank you, Bella." Alice said and surprised me by hugging me followed by Rosalie who thanked me as well. I sat still for a moment before hugging them back.

"It was no problem." I said blushing. "Really."

"No but you went out of your way to help him. Thanks," Rosalie smiled, squeezing my hand in gratitude.

"Anyone would've done it," I shrugged, turning to face my food in an attempt to hide my blushing face.

"No. They wouldn't." Rosalie said quietly, smiling at me gratefully. "Why are you out here?" she asked me suddenly and I smiled to myself.

"I wanted some peace and quiet. Everyone's been trying to get me inside of the cafeteria," I said and Emmett laughed loudly.

"So, what? You're a rebel now?" Emmett asked me.

"I guess. Just don't tell my dad. He might not take it the right way," I joked and they looked at me curiously.

"Bella," Alice said cautiously. I looked over at her to see her tense frame. Her eyes were anxious and she was appraising me. "What's your last name?"

I looked at her confused before smiling to myself. "Swan," I said and watched as all of their eyes widened in shock.

"As in Chief Swan's daughter, Swan?" Rosalie asked me warily.

I knew it would be coming. I just figured that they would have known without having to ask. Everyone knew by now that the Police Chief's daughter had come back home. It had been buzzing around the small town of Forks as if it were the juiciest news of the year.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"You didn't tell your dad, did you?" Rosalie snapped at me, suddenly angry.

Instinctively, my body tensed for a fight and I stood up looking at her defensively. "No. Why? Should I? Do you expect me to report everything to my dad just because he's a cop?" I snarled at her, unable to take the words back.

They looked at me startled.

"Well, you _are_ the Police Chief's daughter," Alice noted sarcastically and I glared at her.

"Shows how much you know then," I spat before grabbing my tray of food and walking towards the closest trash can. I dumped it inside before walking off to find my next class.

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**A/N: Tell me what you think! And I will see you guys next time! First to review the chapter gets a shoutout in the next one :) **

**- Eli**


	4. Chapter 4

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Shout out to ****armywife1979****! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter:) Don't let me hold you back**

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Chapter 4:

I couldn't believe this! How had my day turned from annoying to frustrating to a completely bad day?

I had set out this morning to not let what anyone in the school said get to me. I knew that Charlie was a cop. He was great at his job. I knew it firsthand. But did it mean that others had to make assumptions about me? Just because I was a cop's daughter?

I muttered incoherently to myself and my head whirled with angry thoughts towards the presumptuous kids of my new home. Ugh.

I entered my Biology class early and found two people already in the room even though lunch wasn't over yet.

"Miss Swan, I believe." The teacher smiled at me courteously. "I am Mr. Banner, your Biology teacher."

I didn't want to point out that I already knew that and that it was obvious what subject he taught since the whole room was decorated in things over Meiosis and mitosis as well as the cell structure.

I plastered a smile on my face and greeted him politely.

"You will be sitting next to Mr. Cullen," he gestured to the figure in the back of the room, partially concealed in the shadows. "He will be your partner for the rest of the year."

I nodded before walking towards my new seat which was next to _Mr. Cullen._ I gently set my books down on the desk even though all I wanted to do was slam them down and scream in frustration. I sighed as I took a seat next to my new partner.

I glanced at him before looking down at my notebooks, trying to keep my eyes away from the gorgeous boy sitting next to me. He had green eyes, pale skin, and hair the color of a penny. _Such a beautiful penny…_

SHUT UP!

"Excuse me?" a velvet voice came from beside me.

I blushed as I realized that I had said that out loud.

"I'm sorry. Just talking to myself." I muttered before looking away.

"Great," he muttered sarcastically and I shot him a glare when he continued muttering, "just what I need: a crazy lab partner." My jaw clenched in anger when his name hit me again. Something seemed familiar about that name. Cullen.

"_If any of the Cullens or Rosalie find out then those two are so screwed!"_ That must be Emmett and his sister, Alice. Ugh. Great. I must be sitting next to their brother or something. Just what I needed.

I ignored the whispers as everyone entered the class after lunch ended and looked at me curiously, realizing quickly that I was the new student.

"So, how do you like it here?" a blond haired boy asked me. Mike Newton, a boy who had been trying to get my attention since he laid eyes on me in first period, English. Not only that but I knew that he was one of the boys who was behind Jasper's injuries.

Prick.

"It's great," I muttered sarcastically.

"Can I ask why you came here? I heard you'd been living with your mom..." he trailed off and I glared straight at him, not bothering with the pleasantries.

"No, you can't ask because its none of your goddamned business," I said with a sweet smile, shocking him. "Now, if you'd leave me alone, I would be happy to start learning."

He stared at me dumbfounded along with some other students and my stupid gorgeous new lab partner.

"You know, I'm a football player here," he grinned flirtatiously at me and I huffed, rolling my eyes. "I could get you free tickets to the next game," he continued to smile.

I sat up and stared at him blankly as I contemplated my next words in my head.

"Will Jasper be playing as well?" I asked him and watched as his eyes narrowed, nervously darting from me to my lab partner.

"How do you know Jasper?" Newton asked me quietly.

"Oh, we're great friends," I grinned at him. "How do you know him?" I asked him and he swallowed convulsively before chuckling nervously as his eyes once again darted towards my lab partner who I hadn't even glanced at.

"We play football together. Shame that he won't be playing for a while," he said pulling a sad expression.

"Hmm," I mumbled as he quickly took the chance to turn around in his seat and away from me and my partner who was now blatantly staring at me.

I looked down at my notes and continued to write, switching from taking notes from the text book, the lecture, and the teacher's notes. He didn't say anything and I didn't give him a chance to say anything because I was the first out of the class room when class ended.

I avoided the Cullens and Rosalie despite the few times that Emmett actually managed to corner me. By the time the end of the day came, I was driving home and away from an apologetic looking Rosalie and Alice. It seemed that Emmett had scolded them but I wasn't hearing any of it.

I had gotten crap back with Renee but I wasn't going to take it over here. I was through being the pushover and letting everyone walk over me. For once, I was going to try and stand up for myself. That was going to change whether anyone liked it or not.

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**A/N: You know what to do, tell me what you think! First to review the chapter gets a shoutout in the next one :) **

**- Eli**


	5. Chapter 5

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Shout out to ****armywife1979**** and ****Kgunter34****! I won't hold you for very long but I'd like to thank you all for reading and giving my story a chance :)**

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Chapter 5:

I walked to school the next day, having had enough of my car after driving it around town and going grocery shopping for Charlie. I loved my car dearly but sometimes I just needed to stretch my legs.

I didn't bother acknowledging Emmett, my gorgeous douche of a partner, Alice, or Rosalie when I arrived to school early. I could feel their gazes on me as I walked towards the school without a glance in their direction.

"Hey, Bella." Emmett's voice startled me a few minutes later.

I had been rearranging my notebooks in my back pack, making sure that they hadn't gotten wet while I had walked to school under the rain. I had rolled my backpack in my sweater and had tucked myself in my rain jacket as I had walked to school.

I looked up to see Emmett and my Biology partner standing in front of me as I sat on a dry bench. I glanced behind my uninvited company and saw Alice and Rosalie standing behind them awkwardly.

"Hi, Em." I smiled up at him before looking back down at my back pack.

"So..." he trailed off.

"Yeah?" I asked him without looking up as I pulled some notebooks out of my back pack, deciding on putting them in my locker until I had those classes.

"I heard a rumor about Michael Newton and Tyler Crowley. Do you know who they are?" he asked me.

"Of course she knows who they are. Her dad probably told her about the kids at her school already-" Rosalie was cut off by Emmett's glare.

"I know Newton but not as a friend. I haven't talked to Crowley and I don't plan on it. And no, my dad hasn't told me anything about what to expect here in Forks. He knows I can take care of myself," I muttered smiling a bit at Emmett who smiled back apologetically.

"Well, the rumor was that they were behind Jazz's... injuries." Emmett said sheepishly and I sighed, finally turning my full attention on him.

"Why don't you ask Jazz? He told you didn't he?" I asked him. He nodded. "Well, there you go."

"He was kind of out of it, though and was saying some wierd things after he named the people who started it. He accused me of shitting a brick when we got home," Emmett said with a confused expression. I grinned up at him.

"The phrase is used to show that someone is deeply worried or concerned, Emmett. I think he was just trying to wave your concerns off." I said quietly.

"Well, we were wondering-" Emmett started but was cut off by my Biology partner.

"We wanted to know if you knew anything about who beat up Jasper on Friday," he said abruptly. "Jasper's not making any sense and Emmett's not sure what happened. You're the only other person who talked to Jasper after it all happened."

"My dad hasn't figured if anything has been wrong with Jasper so I wouldn't know." I muttered and he rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't asking about your dad. I was asking about whether _you_ knew anything," he muttered and was smacked on the back of the head by Alice right afterward.

"Rude," she admonished him and he pursed his lips in irritation at her.

"I've heard a rumor too. I don't expect anything to be true though. Usually rumors are false," I shrugged as I stood up, turning to walk away.

I was stopped when my Biology partner shoved his hand out in front of me, stopping me from going anywhere.

"What rumor?" he asked me irritably.

"Piss off, Edward. She's been nice enough talking to you guys after the shit that Rose and Ali said yesterday," Emmett muttered but Edward didn't waver.

"Can you please move your arm?" I asked him in a controlled polite voice.

"Why don't you tell us what you know?" Edward asked me, mirroring my own tone.

"I don't have shit to say to someone who can't even respect another person's personal space. Now if you don't move your arm I'll make sure you get an eyeful of mace." I muttered and he slowly let his arm fall down to his side. "Thank you," I smiled at him before walking away with my notebooks in my arms.

"Stupid, annoying, aggravating... self-righteous... no good..." I muttered incoherently as I stomped away. Of course, that didn't end well because I ended up slipping on a puddle and slamming right into a locker, face first when I tried to catch myself. I groaned and picked up my scattered notebooks before carefully walking away.

_Should have stayed in Phoenix,_ I thought before shaking my head to myself. _No. Never again. I chose this for a reason. I'm not going back and I'm gonna change. It's all for the best._

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**A/N: Drop your opinion in the box below and I will see you next time! First to review the chapter gets a shoutout in the next one :) **

**- Eli**


	6. Chapter 6

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Shout out to ****armywife1979****! Thank you for reading. Here's the next chapter :)**

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Chapter 6:

Classes flew by the rest of the day and I ended up walking home with a bruise on my forehead which I partially managed to cover up with my bangs. I had managed to finish most of my homework and start on the other half.

I had self-consciously rubbed my forehead as I walked home and stopped in surprise. Not because I almost managed to slip on a puddle and get my pant legs wet but because of a tall figure that stood in the driveway of my new home.

I approached slowly and sighed in relief when I realized that the figure was Jasper.

"Jeebus crap, you scared me!" I exhaled when he caught sight of me. He grinned weakly as I took him in. He had bruises on his face and his upper lip was cut on the side but healing.

"Sorry, Bella." He smiled at me.

"Did you... did you walk over here?" I asked him as I realized that he was hunching from the pain in his ribs and legs. He should be in bed resting...

"Yeah," he grinned sheepishly.

"Jasper, you should be resting," I scolded him and he blushed a bit, smiling sheepishly.

"I just wanted to thank you." he muttered and I sighed but smiled.

"You're welcome but I want you to rest. Do you want to come in? Charlie isn't coming home until seven or eight," I smiled at him and he nodded as his stomach grumbled.

"I won't ask how you found my house or how you even got here. Jasper, you shouldn't be walking around town in your condition. Does your family know where you're at?" I asked him and he slowly shook his head.

"They're all fussing over me and I'm getting tired of it. I just needed to get out. And I figured I could extend my thanks while I was at it," he muttered and I sighed.

"Alright. Come on in. I'll make some dinner or something and then I'm driving you home," I said and gently grabbed his arm and pulled him towards my house.

"Wow," he muttered as he entered the house. I had always made sure that it was clean since I got home. I didn't have OCD or anything but I was used to doing chores even though Charlie insisted that I didn't need to do anything.

"So, if you have a car then why did you walk?" he asked me as I made him sit down in the kitchen table with a pillow on his back to keep him comfortable.

"Sometimes I like walking. I used to drive one day and walk the next back in Phoenix." I shrugged and smiled. "I'm just used to switching off."

He smiled and nodded and watched me as I began to cook dinner. I usually started it right after I got home from school anyways to have something waiting for Charlie once he got home.

"Have you told your dad anything?" he asked me and I looked at him.

"No. We don't talk much," I shrugged. "What, between me going to school and him coming home late from work? But he's great."

"Thanks," he smiled in relief. "I mean it. I know that its not right to not tell the police or even my football Coach but I just don't wanna risk it."

I nodded and smiled back, turning to continue to cook the potato soup I already had boiling, and stirring it occasionally before it was ready. Jasper had this soothing air about him so we sat in a comfortable silence.

"I'm sorry that my family has been giving you trouble. I heard about Alice and Rosalie," he sighed quietly. "And then Edward... he can come off as a bit of a prick but he's really a great guy, Bella." he told me quietly.

"I'll consider it," I said quietly as I set a bowl of soup in front of him. He smiled at me gratefully and slowly began to eat after I cautioned him that it was hot.

"Thanks. I'd like for us to be friends. But I'd also like it if you and my siblings could get along," he said quietly, looking at me with hope in his eyes. I smiled as I began to eat as well.

"Alright," I nodded and he smiled widely. "But," I warned him seriously, "I'm not taking crap from either Edward or your sister, Rosalie."

He grinned back widely.

"I'm sure they'll deal," he said and I laughed quietly. I blushed when he leaned forward, looking at me intently. "What happened to your forehead?" he asked me seriously.

I blushed deeper and chuckled under my breath. "I slipped on a puddle and slammed into the lockers. I told you I'm very clumsy. It'll be a bruise tomorrow." I muttered and he chuckled a bit before wincing.

"Okay, come on. Eat and then I'll take you home. You should be in bed," I muttered and he nodded sadly. "Oh, don't look so down, Jazz." I smiled at the nickname that Emmett had used and he smiled back. "You should know your limits. You'll only hurt yourself more if you aren't careful."

He sighed in resignation, huffing dramatically before wincing again. "If I must," he muttered. I laughed and nodded.

"Bella, I wanted to ask you something," he said quietly after a while of us eating in silence. I looked up from my soup with my spoon in my mouth. He smiled at me before turning serious. "Do you remember anything from when you found me? Like... what I said about who did it? Its kind of fuzzy and Alice and my siblings don't seem to believe me on anything I say about it now." he frowned and I mirrored his expression.

"I heard something that does match up with something you had said when I found you," I said carefully and he looked up at me in surprise.

"Yeah," he prodded me to continue.

"Well, these two guys were talking about you when I first got to school. They said that Michael Newton and Tyler Crowley left you in pretty bad shape. They don't know that I found you since they only mentioned Emmett." My voice was low and careful and I saw something flash in his eyes as he stared at me pensively.

"Newton and Crowley," he nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

"And you told Em that it was them when he came to pick you up," I told him quietly and he nodded, looking at me with elated eyes.

"I remember," he said but frowned at the memories. "They dragged me away after the game..."

"Alright. That's enough, Jazz. Finish up so I can take you home. Your family must be worried sick," I muttered. "Do you have your cell phone?" I asked him and he shook his head. I huffed.

"You need to get a phone," I said exasperatedly. He chuckled but winced again. "And you need to take some pain medicine and get your ribs rebandaged. Do you want me to take you to the hospital instead?" I asked him worried.

I hated hospitals but he needed to be looked at.

"No," he shook his head slowly. "My adoptive father is a doctor. He took care of everything when Emmett took me home."

"Alright," I nodded in relief before standing up as soon as he finished with his food. I washed our bowls, not wanting to have Charlie suspicious as to why there were two bowls in the sink. I grabbed my car keys and helped him out of the house.

"You'll have to give me directions." I muttered as we walked towards my car.

"I can get in by myself," he told me quietly as I walked him to the passenger's door. I shrugged and nodded before walking around to get in the driver's seat. He looked at me in surprise as he got in slowly and carefully.

"You didn't try to help me," he muttered as I started the car.

"You said you didn't need any help," I retorted and he grinned.

"Thanks." he repeated again for what seemed to be the fifteenth time that day.

"I trust you enough to tell me if you really needed help," I muttered and he smiled at me before I pulled out of the driveway.

"They're going to be mad..." he muttered and I laughed at that.

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**A/N: You guys know what to do! Reviews make this author very happy :D See you guys next time! First to review the chapter gets a shoutout in the next one :) **

**- Eli**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Shout out to ****armywife1979**** and ****thelionismine****! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 7:

I drove carefully, following Jasper's directions before speeding when I was out of Forks. He laughed, scolding me for speeding when I should be well behaved like a good Chief of Police's daughter. I simply stuck my tongue out at him as I continued to drive.

He told me about his family and I listened as I drove. He and his cousin, Rosalie Hale, had been adopted by Carlisle and Esme Cullen after they became orphaned and found themselves together in the same foster home. He didn't talk about his parents or Rosalie's and I didn't push, it wasn't my place. He then told me about the Cullen's. Emmett was the eldest out of his siblings but had been held back so he was a Senior like the rest of us. Edward and Alice were fraternal twins; he had bronze hair and green eyes and she had black hair and blue eyes. After their parents adopted Rosalie and Jasper into the family, it seemed like they seemed to click with Emmett and Alice. It was a scandal in the town of Forks but they technically weren't related so it didn't matter. Their parents were cool about it, Jasper told me. They just wanted them all happy.

And in truth, Carlisle and Esme Cullen were already their parents in every sense of the word. It was just good luck that they would truly be family should the two couples choose to marry.

"Turn here," he gestured to the left and I was surprised to turn into a large drive that led to a massive white Victorian house.

"Not intimidating at all," I muttered sarcastically and he laughed loudly but then hunched in his seat in pain. "Jazz, be careful." I muttered and he chuckled.

"You sound like my mom," he wheezed through his laughter and I rolled my eyes before parking. I began to get out but stopped when he called me. "Um, I need some help getting out." he said with red cheeks, looking completely embarassed with his confession.

I smiled at him and nodded before rounding my car and going to his side. The door was already open and he was trying to find a way out without hurting himself.

I leaned forward to help him out, grabbing his forearms and instructing him to do the same with me. I managed to help him out but also managed to slam my hip on the passenger door as well.

I cursed rather loudly and it earned me his booming laughter, before he too cursed in pain and then we were laughing together before cursing in pain again.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you," I groaned as he stood aside while I closed the passenger door to my car and he chuckled as he winced in pain.

I walked him to the door where the door was suddenly slammed open by a worried looking mother and a furious looking Rosalie.

"Where have you been? You should be resting!" the woman admonished before she caught sight of me. "Oh, hello." she said, her worried face turning welcoming all at once.

"I told you you sounded just like each other," Jasper nudged me and I glared at him.

"Hi," I smiled at her, ignoring Rosalie and Jasper, "I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you."

"Did you steal Jasper?" Rosalie snapped at me and received a glare in return by Jasper himself and a shocked look from the woman.

"Um, no. He walked to my house to talk to me." I said.

"Its nice to meet you Bella. I'm Esme. I'm sorry for Rose. We've all been worried about Jasper. He shouldn't even be up and walking right now," Esme said tearfully.

"Way to make your mom cry," I muttered to Jasper who immediately tried to comfort her as I shook my head at the sight. She was trying to be mad at him but was also crying and trying to look him over for anymore injuries while Jasper tried to soothe her and be careful to not hurt himself further.

"Well, I just came to drop Jazz off. Um, it was nice meeting you," I smiled at Esme.

"Won't you stay, Bella? I was just going to start serving dinner," Esme smiled kindly.

"Bella already cooked dinner for me," Jasper intervened. "We just ate."

Esme looked at me in surprise. "You can cook?" she asked me, looking excited.

"Um, yes." I smiled at her tentatively. "I'm sorry but I can't stay. My dad will be coming home soon and I didn't tell him that I would be coming here. I just wanted to get Jasper home. He should have his ribs rebandaged and take some pills for pain." I said and blushed when she looked at me curiously. "He's been wincing every other five minutes because of it." I said as an explanation.

"I have not!" Jasper cried in outrage before wincing in pain.

"Yeah. And I'm not a klutz." I muttered sarcastically. "Bye, Jasper." I sighed before turning to walk away. "It was nice meeting you, Esme. Always a pleasure, Rosalie." I smiled at them.

"Thank you!" Jasper called and I laughed before tripping and shrieking before laughing again. I heard him laugh and moan in pain as I waved good bye, trying to hide my blush as I carefully got into my car and drove away.

The next day I found myself talking to Emmett at lunch. He had approached me at first and had thanked me for bringing Jasper home and feeding him. But then he began to complain about how Jasper got fed an awesome dinner that he'd been bragging about and Emmett hadn't.

"Can you please cook me something? I'll pay you," Emmett pleaded and I laughed, rolling my eyes at his antics.

"Pay me? You insult me, Emmett. What type of person do you think I am?" I asked him and he seemed to rack his brains for something else to plead with.

"You're a great person, Bella. What do you want? I'll give you anything. Even my lucky season socks!" he cried and I rolled my eyes. "Are you rolling your eyes at me?" he asked, faking offense.

"No!" I fake gasped and he narrowed his eyes at me. He huffed and slouched down next to me. "I know that it doesn't sound like much but those socks have done a lot for me. I don't let mom wash them or anything either!" He told me, looking proud of that fact.

"And this is supposed to be appealing, Em?" I chuckled. He smiled a bit and shook his head.

"I guess its not. But please, just tell me what you want and I'll give you anything!" he continued to plead and suddenly dropped down to his knees.

"I want you to get off of your knees. You're embarassing me. And if someone walks by... ugh. I don't even want to think about the new rumors that will spread." I laughed and he chuckled with me but pulled himself up to his feet.

"So you'll cook me something?" he asked me.

"Sure. Why not?" I shrugged and he whooped before wrapping me in a hug.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" Edward, Rosalie, and Alice stood across from us and Emmett set me down as I began to blush.

"Just hugging my bestie. She's giving me lunch tomorrow." Emmett replied to Rosalie's sour face with a serene expression himself. "I know you're jealous, Eddie. No need to scowl though." Emmett said with a roll of his eyes.

Emmett suddenly turned to me, looking excited.

"Bella, you should come after school." he said suddenly and I raised my eyebrow at him, feeling unsure and by the looks of his siblings and Rose, they didn't look any happy with his idea.

"Um, I don't think I could-" I began to say but was cut off by Rosalie.

"Oh, what? You don't we're good enough to have your presence in our house?" she sneered at me, narrowing her eyes at me.

I laughed humorlessly and shook my head at her.

"Isn't it obvious that you guys don't like me? I'll spare you the tension in your own home and stay away." I said with a roll of my eyes. "Em, I appreciate the offer but maybe we should just stick to seeing each other at school."

He frowned but he wasn't frowning at me but at Rosalie and his siblings.

"Alright," he sulked.

"If you can't wait for food until tomorrow then you can come to eat dinner with me and Charlie." I said with a smile. "Though, I'm not sure how he'd feel. Oh well," I shrugged.

"Charlie?" Edward and Alice asked at the same time, sounding just as confused as the other.

"Yeah. My dad." I nodded in agreement.

"The Chief?" Emmett asked, looking pale.

"Yeah. Bring Jasper. I'm sure he won't shoot an invalid." I grinned and Emmett looked thoughtful then.

"And what about us?" Alice pouted.

I stayed silent, knowing that I'd told Jasper that I would try with his siblings and Alice. But I didn't know how to go about it.

"I guess you could come as well." I shrugged.

"Can you cook that much?" Alice asked me.

"Sure. It'll take me a while." I said with a shrug.

"Why don't you cook at our house?" Emmett asked me.

"Because mom and dad are going out tonight. And they'd be mad if we had someone over without their permission." Rosalie said and then turned to me. "Won't your dad get mad?"

"He probably won't even be there," I shrugged and they looked at me with furrowed brows.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked me curiously.

"He usually works overtime or the night shifts and just gets the food that I cooked for dinner the previous day for his lunch the next day at work." I said and they looked at me with strange expressions.

The bell rang before they could say anything and I waved goodbye to Emmett before dashing away to class.

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**A/N: R&R, guys and I will see you all next time :) First to review gets a shoutout in the next chapter! haha**

**- Eli**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to ****sandyl67****! Secondly, I'd like to thank you for reading. And last of all, please enjoy! hehe**

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Chapter 8:

I had immediately gone to the store after school and bought some groceries, figuring I would make some parmesean chicken with some home made salsa and chips as appetizers. I had everything just about ready minutes before I heard Edward's Volvo pull up in the driveway.

The strawberries and cream that I had made for desert were in the fridge, ready to go. I was fixing up the table when the knocking on the door started.

"I'm coming!" I called and laughed at my appearance when I dashed down the hall to get the front door. My face was smeared with some salsa and my chin had some cream on it, making me look like I had a goatee.

I wiped at my face as I opened the door, smiling at them all and ushering them in.

"What were you doing?" Jasper asked as he looked at my food splattered arms. I blushed and laughed.

"I was fighting the flour monster. He's just as viscious now as ever." I joked and he chuckled, wincing.

They all came in, taking in the inside of the house.

"This is nice," Rosalie complimented, looking around with curiosity.

"Well, its no three story Victorian house," I smiled and tugged the apron off of my body, "but its home. Always will be."

"But you didn't always live here, did you?" she asked me as she peered at a picture of me as a newborn in Charlie's arms. Renee was smiling next to him. A nurse had taken it at the hospital.

I quickly put the picture face down.

"No." I said, still trying to stay polite.

"Is that your mom?" she persisted, seemingly oblivious to the tensing of my body as she continued to inquire.

"I guess you could call her that." I said and quickly dashed towards the kitchen when the timer went off. "That's the food!" I said happily and dashed away.

"Shit!" I cursed when I tripped on the leg of the coffee table. I huffed and carefully stood up when they all rushed to where I was, asking if I was alright. "I'm great. Just a few scrapes. No worries." I waved it off and limped towards the kitchen.

I quickly began to serve the food and washed my arms, wincing when I realized that I had scraped my elbows and they were now bleeding. I gagged and shuddered at the smell, quickly reaching for the first aid kit that Charlie had stashed in the kitchen. He had made sure that every room in the house had one available in case of an emergency.

I quickly disinfected my wounds and gently prodded at my right ankle. I grimaced when I realized that it was sprained.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jasper asked when he and his siblings and girlfriend entered the room to see me wrapping my ankle in an Ace bandage.

"Yeah. Its just sprained. Nothing big," I shrugged it off and he quickly rushed to me, looking worried.

"Are you serious? Bella, we should get you to a hospital." he said, looking anxious.

I chuckled and shook my head at him.

"No, Jazz. I said I'm good. Don't worry." I said and he looked at me, unconvinced. "I'm serious. I'm fine. They can't do anything to me that I don't already know how to do for myself."

"What about crutches. You should keep that elevated for a few weeks." Edward spoke up.

"Charlie keeps a pair in the house in case things like this happen. Hell, he'd be happy if he could keep me in a wheel chair so that I won't hurt myself." I chuckled and they all exchanged worried glances.

"Let's eat. I did not slave all day so that you guys could just worry over me," I said, diverting their attention away from me. They reluctantly agreed and followed an excited Emmett to the kitchen table once he caught sight of the already set plates full of food.

We conversed and I ate in silence, only speaking or participating in the conversation when Jasper, Emmett, or Alice asked me a question. It seemed that Alice had already warmed up to me and had loudly declared that we would soon be best friends.

I was laughing over a story that Emmett was telling about Edward and how he had managed to freak Alice out over a small gecko that he had found near his house in the forest. She had screamed bloody murder. The laughter seemed to be drowned out by the insistent sound of the house phone ringing.

"I'll get it. Don't worry." I grinned over at Rosalie who told me not to worry about it. She looked at me hesitantly but I simply smiled at her and limped over to where the house phone was in the living room.

"Hello?" I answered the phone politely.

"Bella, is that you?" a male voice asked quietly. "Its me, Deputy Tate. Charlie wanted to talk to you so I called. Here, I'll pass him to you."

His words were hasty and before I could respond, Charlie was greeting me.

"Hey, dad. What's up?" I asked him quietly.

"Nothing, Bells." he said and laughed a bit nervously. "I just wanted to tell you that I won't be home for dinner. Sorry."

I glanced up at the clock. 8:47 p.m.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it," I sighed. "Do you want me to save you something?" I asked him quietly.

"No. Its alright. I'm gonna be over here at the station a little late. We're helping some people on a case." he said, sounding a bit exhausted.

"Oh. Alright. You be careful then, Chief." I said and he chuckled.

"Bella, I'm sorry if my being not home a lot isn't better. I'm not doing much of a good job as a father, am I?" he asked me quietly, sounding sad.

"You're doing great, dad. Don't worry about me." I muttered, laughing lightly.

"Well, I worry anyways. Anyways, you haven't told me how your first few days at school were," he said gruffly and I chuckled.

"You wanna talk about school?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah. Why not? Have there been any problems or troublemakers that I should worry about?" he asked me, sounding serious now. I laughed, waving away his worries.

"No. No problems at school. Nothing to report, Chief." I said cheerfully.

"I don't believe you." he said bluntly making me chuckle.

"And that's great because I don't believe me either." I said seriously and he chuckled. "The truth is, I found out that half of the kids on the football team have been abducted by aliens and have been put under suspicion for stealing the principal's childhood teddy bear." I said in a serious tone.

"Alright, Bells. If you say so." he said chuckling.

"I do! And you know that I can't lie!" I exclaimed making him laugh.

"That you can't," he sighed. "Alright, kiddo. I'll let you go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Great." I grinned before we said our good nights and goodbyes and hung up. I limped back to the kitchen table and smiled a bit when I saw the Cullens talking in whispers with each other.

"What are you guys up to?" I asked and watched as they all immediately clamped their mouths shut once they realized that I was back in the room with them.

"Nothing," Edward smiled at me. "Well, this was great Bella. Thanks a lot for having us over."

"Yeah, everything was fun." Rosalie smiled, and I was surprised to see that it was genuine.

"Uh huh," I muttered, looking between them both warily.

"We should get going. Carlisle and Esme will be getting home soon." Jasper smiled at me apologetically.

"All right. Do you want me to walk you guys out?" I asked them and they shook their heads at me, all smiling genuinely. "Suit yourselves." I shrugged and began to gather their plates off of the table.

"What are you doing?" Alice and Emmett asked me, looking at me wide eyed.

"I'm getting ready to wash the dishes and clear the table." I said, looking at them confused. "Why?"

"You can't do that! We'll do it. You just sit down next to Jazzy." Alice said and practically shoved me down in the chair next to Jasper.

"They're going to smother you with affection, ya know?" he asked me as we both watched all of them clear the table and take a part in all of the cleaning that I had been planning to do. I rolled my eyes as he laughed.

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**A/N: Drop your opinion in the box below and tell me what you think x) I will see you guys next time. First to review gets a shoutout in the next chapter!**

**- Eli**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: SO! Shout out to ****Hope Edwards; thank you for reviewing****! And I'd like to thank you all for reading. I though I might give this to you a day early seeing as I'll be out all day tomorrow and won't be able to update. So thank you. In other news, enjoy! haha**

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Chapter 9:

My two weeks in Forks quickly passed and the third week began with the reappearance of Jasper at school. He was still healing but had been doing amazingly well and had been working with a personal trainer to be able to get back into shape in hopes of getting back into the football season.

He had helped me along with Emmett and Edward when I had trouble carrying my books and backpack. I had refused help at first but that hadn't stopped them. True to her word, Alice and I became best friends. And Rosalie and I had become just as close as well.

They apologized for being so rude and the way they treated me. I chose my words carefully when I forgave them, all the while keeping my promise to Jasper in mind. That I would give his family a chance. They didn't seem all that bad and they really weren't. They were just protecting Jasper even though they were going about it in a wierd way. But they didn't know me, I was new in town. In short, we made up and although our relationships were tentative, they were better than any others that I had with the other kids at school. They whispered too much and looked down their noses at me while offering me sweet smiles and trying to strike up conversation. I didn't like it.

Which is why I had refused to go eat inside the cafeteria when the "Cullen kids" asked me to join them inside for lunch. So they migrated outside with me.

It was during my fourth week in Forks, a Thursday, that I had been going to lunch when trouble finally caught up to me. I found myself being cornered by Mike and Tyler at my locker.

"It seems that you're the one who tipped the Cullens, huh?" Mike narrowed his eyes at me as I held tightly onto my crutches. I knew that by now I hardly needed them but I just kept them as a precaution.

"Thanks to you, we were kicked off the team." Tyler spat at me and shoved me back into my locker. I winced but glared back at them defiantly.

"I have no idea what the hell you guys are talking about," I snapped at them, knowing that I hadn't told anyone about what had happened to Jasper. I had only ever really talked to Jasper about it but even that had been brief.

"Really?" Mike snapped at me.

"Yeah," I said and slapped his hand away when he reached over to grab my arm. "Don't touch me." I said angrily.

"We'll do whatever we want with you." Tyler said and shoved me back against the lockers, pinning me there. His hands were at my throat, cutting off my air quickly as he glared down at me.

I gasped for air and grasped at his hands, letting my crutches fall to the ground noisily. On instinct, I grabbed the can of mace that Charlie insisted I keep on me and sprayed it in Tyler's eyes.

He cried out in pain and jumped back, trying to rub it out of his eyes but only making it worse.

"You bitch!" he shouted furiously as I slumped down to the ground, gasping for air.

"Kitty has claws." Mike grinned down at me, leering.

"Fuck off," I hissed and held the can of mace in front of me threateningly as I tried to compose myself.

"I don't think so, Swan. I think I'd like to have some fun with the Chief's daughter." he grinned down at me and hauled me up to my feet by the front of my shirt, slapping my only weapon out of my hands.

I felt my breathing quicken as panic rose in me and he began to let his hands wander up my shirt as he pressed his dirty mouth to my neck.

_No. No! Not again,_ was all my mind could muster as I tried to fight against him, pushing and shoving with all my might as tears began to well in my eyes.

"Let's have some fun, Bella." he whispered into my ear as he pushed my thighs apart with his knee and pressed himself against me making the tears spill over.

My throat was dry and I began to cry silently, still fighting against him, still shoving. But making no progress.

Finally, I managed to shove my elbow awkwardly into his ribs. He huffed and stumbled back from the impact and I quickly took the chance to kick him back. He grunted and crashed loudly into the opposite wall of lockers.

"Don't you ever fucking touch me again!" I shouted, my voice hysterical.

I grabbed one of my crutches from the ground when I saw him begin to stalk back towards me in a sudden fury.

"What are you going to do?" he asked me, eyes narrowed.

"Bella?" Emmett's voice drifted down the hall and several foot steps followed.

"Stay the hell away from me, Newton." I gasped angrily.

"Why? What are you going to do?" he asked me again, taking a threatening step forward as he ignored the panicked voices of the Cullens who were quickly closing in.

"Mike, let's go." Tyler said, getting up from the floor and scrambling up to his feet. He tugged on Newton's arm, glancing worriedly towards where the Cullens were coming.

"We're not done yet, kitty." Mike grinned at me. But before he could get away with Tyler, I slammed my crutch against his legs, sending him down on his knees in pain.

I punched his face and kicked him down to the ground, ignoring Tyler who was already running away from the scene as the Cullens quickly arrived.

"Bella, Bella stop!" Edward said and grabbed my arm, stopping me from hitting Newton again.

"Don't touch me! Get the fuck off of me!" I yelled hysterically, pushing away from him as my body immediately tensed up.

I fell to the ground and sobbed, pushing my face in my hands.

"Bella, what happened? What did he do?" Rosalie asked me as she tried to soothe me. Nothing was helping. My nerves were shot and my hairs all stood on end, my body tensed and ready to defend.

"H-he..." I cried, unable to finish a sentence. "Oh... my God!"

"Alright. Just calm down. I'm gonna call your dad, alright?" Alice said gently and I wasn't even able to protest. Em, Jazz, and Edward made sure to keep Mike in place, having suspicions of what he had tried to do.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading... now please review. They make my day and get the next chapter to you faster. Maybe. Hmmm, I might think of updating sooner. Once or twice to keep you guys on your toes. ANYWAYS, review! haha**

**I will see you next time! First to review gets a shoutout in the next chapter! haha**

**- Eli**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: Enjoy, read, review. Let's all do this, shall we? SHOUT OUT TO ****armywife1979****! And I'd like to wish Ally a Happy Birthday. Sorry I couldn't get the chapter here quicker but I hope you like :)**

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Chapter 10:

Some officers quickly arrived at the school and the students were all buzzing. I didn't talk and didn't move, refusing the help of the paramedics who were looking at me anxiously along with the Cullens and some teachers who had managed to redirect the traffic of the students so that they could get to class.

"Bells," Charlie's worried voice broke through the haze of the other voices. "What did he do to you?"

I didn't fight him as he pulled my hands away from my face, too tired. His eyes clenched shut and he exhaled deeply when he caught sight of my throat.

"Come here, Bells." he whispered and quickly helped me up and off of the floor. "The paramedics are going to check you alright? I want you to go to the hospital."

"No," I mumbled, my throat dry.

"Yes. I want to see if he..." he trailed off, seeming angry.

"Tyler Crowley." I said, pointing to my neck. He exhaled deeply, trying to control his obvious rage.

"Okay. Don't worry, Bells. They won't hurt you again." He said and kissed my forehead.

Alice and Rosalie offered to go in the ambulence with me when they said that Charlie seemed torn between dealing with Newton and Crowley, who had quickly been tracked down, and taking me to the hospital.

Em, Jazz, and Edward quickly joined us in the hospital and had asked for Carlisle to attend to me, assuring me that he was probably the best doctor in town.

And he did.

I was a bit glad to see that he knew what he was doing when he checked me over. Not that I knew much about being a doctor in the first place but I knew a little bit more than a basic first aid kit.

"You're in shock. And that's understandable, Bella." he told me quietly when he carefully bandaged my bloody knuckles, stitching them up.

"Would you like for me to give you some medication?" he asked me and I shrugged, knowing that this wouldn't be going away for a while. This _feeling._

"Would you like me to recommend you a psychologist..." he trailed off, looking at me when I began to shake my head at him.

"No. I'll be fine." I croaked.

"If you're sure," he said, not looking convinced.

"Yeah." I smiled, trying to make it look convincing. "Its just a few bruises anyways."

I was quickly discharged from the hospital and was driven home by the Cullens who were adamant on not letting me walk home as I'd insisted on doing. The car was silent and a bit tense until Edward pulled up in front of my house.

"Thanks," I said before darting out of the car and practically running inside the house, not bothering to invite them inside or say anything else.

Charlie didn't come home until late at night and I had insisted on serving him dinner, trying to distract myself. I was restless and couldn't even sit still.

"Bella," he sighed as he watched me tap my fingers on the kitchen counter while I waited for his plate of food to come out of the microwave. "I know that you don't want to talk about it. But maybe you should see someone."

"Dad, I'm really alright," I said, trying to get him to drop it.

"No Bella. You can fool them out there," he waved his hand towards the front door. "But I know better. Once is bad enough but _twice_?" he asked, beginning to raise his voice.

He sighed heavily when he saw me wince, a silent apology in the sound.

"Why were they bothering you in the first place?" he asked me and I shook my head, realizing that I would have to tell him about the story behind Jasper's injuries. The story that the Cullens were trying to keep under wraps because of Jasper's guilt.

"You know you can tell me anything, kiddo." he told me quietly and I shook my head again, lowering my eyes to the ground when he tried to catch my gaze. "The Cullens seem like good kids. Why didn't you ever tell me you were friends with them?" he asked me, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

His tone wasn't accusatory but it wasn't the right question to ask.

I shrugged and crossed my arms in front of my chest defensively.

He stayed silent, observing me and I could practically see him putting the pieces that he knew about together.

"I don't want you going near them anymore." he said, his tone hard. "If they had something to do with all of this..." he huffed angrily, "just don't go near them anymore. Not any of them, Bells."

I stayed silent, not approving or protesting against anything that he was saying. I wouldn't give him a reaction to go by.

"You've been hurt enough, Bella. And I won't let that happen anymore if I have anything to say about it." he said firmly.

I didn't say anything and took out his plate from the microwave, setting it in front of him. He sighed and looked at me before smiling.

"Thank you, Bella." he smiled and stood up to kiss my forehead gently before sitting back down to start in on his postponed dinner.

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**A/N: So, thank you for reading. Drop your box in the opinion below and... haha got that backwards. But can you imagine if that made sense? lol Well, you know what to do ^-^ **

**I will see you guys in a few days. First review gets a shout out next Chapter!**

**- Eli**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: So here's a change... the chapter I mean. The story wasn't going how I planned for it to go when I started writing it. And that's not a bad thing its just my fingers fly without my consent and the characters are the ones pulling me along. I hope you enjoy :D**

**SHOUT OUT TO ****armywife1979****! Thank you for your review. And here are is what you were waiting for. Hardly what I think you'd be expecting but there it is...**

Chapter 11:

The days passed and I became more and more restless. Every Tuesday, I signed out of school early to go to therapy in Seattle in order to make it on time for my weekly appointments with my therapist. Her name was Carmen and she specialized with victims of any type of abuse.

I hadn't talked to any of the Cullens despite their questions and attempts at cornering me. I always dodged them and stayed silent whenever they did manage to corner me. Being Edward's lab partner didn't help any but I didn't let it get to me and only responded with monosyllabic words when necessary.

I didn't sleep and eventually ended up going to see Dr. Gerandy after nearly fainting on my way down the stairs in my haste to get to school. That was when Charlie had put his foot down and drove me to the hospital, tugging me to his side protectively.

I hadn't bothered to look in the mirror but I knew that I definitely had bags under my eyes. My body was weary and my eyes hurt. The lack of sleep wasn't entirely due to the assault but the event itself had dredged up memories I'd rather liked left behind. An d so I sat next to Charlie as he filled out the paper work, asking me on occasion a question that he didn't know the answer to.

"Isabella Swan," a nurse called me out of the waiting room.

Charlie stood up and helped me up to my feet when I stood up warily. I hated hospitals to begin with and had never really had any positive experiences here. Then again, who did? People died here.

And that wasn't a comforting thought.

Hell, even when a baby was born, it wasn't exactly pain free.

We passed Dr. Cullen on the way and I bowed my head as he looked at me and then Charlie who nodded curtly in his direction.

I think that Charlie was mostly mad at the Cullens because he hadn't been able to actually convict Crowley and Newton thanks to my lack of a statement. I couldn't state their motives and both boys seemed tight lipped about it. When it became clear that the Cullens had something to do with it, some police officers went to interrogate them at their house. But no answers were given.

And so Crowley and Newton were back in school but on probation for the time being; serving community service after school since that was all Charlie could punish them with no statements. And it bugged the hell out of Charlie.

"She'll have to stay here for a while, Charlie." Dr. Gerandy finally said after speaking with me silently. Even though he had stepped out of the room to speak with Charlie, I could still hear him.

"What exactly is wrong with her?" Charlie asked concerned.

"Well, she seems to be a bit malnourished. And depressed for the most part, no to mention the lack of sleep. She needs vitamins. A few days in here and she should be fine. No worries." Dr. Gerandy said with a smile.

"Well, why can't she just go home?" Charlie asked him.

"Because she needs sleep. With some medication, she can sleep safe and sound here." Dr. Gerandy said quietly. "Do you know the last time that she slept?" he asked Charlie quietly. There was only a grunt in response and a quiet murmur.

Finally, Charlie entered the room, telling me that I would be staying here for a few days. I only nodded. He sighed sadly, knowing that he wouldn't get a response. I hadn't spoken much since the attempted rape.

"I'll come see you as soon as I can and I'll tell Carmen that you won't be going this week." he said and kissed my forehead before leaving me alone in the hospital.

I was put in a hospital room and was quickly hooked onto an Iv with a drip of several vitamins going into my body. Dr. Gerandy had informed me about my condition as I slowly began to get better. It didn't escape my attention how Dr. Cullen never entered my room. Or when he passed it, a nurse would come up and close the curtains that separated my bed from the others.

For the first time in several days, I fell asleep. There was no nightmares. No dreams. It was blank. Like a blinding white light that settled down to just white surroundings. My own world. A world that I was a prisoner in until I woke up.

And when I did wake up for the first time, I wasn't prepared for the surprise that waited for me in my hospital room.

**A/N: Don't you just loooooooooove cliffhangers? haha I was once told that I have an evil talent, in a good way, for them :D Review and tell me what you think and I'll see you next time :) Do I even have to say the shout out thing? I think you guys know by now, first review gets a shout out!**

**-Eli**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all for reading. Otherwise, I'd like to introduce you to Chapter 12! Buuuut (haha but) before I do, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT TO ****ilivvisis****!**

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Chapter 12:

Renee was standing at the foot of my bed and Phil was leaning over the railing of my bed, sniffing my hair quietly. My throat clammed up and it was suddenly very difficult to breathe.

"My little Bella... what did they do to you?" Phil whispered, looking down at my nearly translucent skin sorrowfully.

"W-what?" I choked out, scrambling to get away from him.

"Bella, Bella, Bella." Renee tsked at me. "You know we would never hurt you."

"Get out!" I finally found my voice. "Get the hell out! Don't touch me!"

My voice was hysterical but I wasn't going to let them hurt me anymore. Not again.

"Lower your voice, my Bella." Phil narrowed his eyes at me and I slapped his hand away when he tried to reach for my hair again.

"I'm not your _anything_!" I snarled at him. "Get out! GET OUT!"

Nurses must have heard the commotion because suddenly the curtain that had concealed my bed was thrown aside. My breathing was harsh and I was glaring at Renee and Phil with hate.

"Miss, we're going to have to ask the both of you to leave. You are not helping the patient." a nurse said sternly.

"But I am her mother!" Renee shouted angrily.

My throat tightened and furious tears blurred my vision as I threw the blankets off of my body, glaring at them all with all that I had.

"You aren't _anything_ to me, Renee!" I shouted and tore the Iv out of my skin. I jumped off of the bed and grabbed the metal pole that held all of the bags of liquid vitamins, shaking it so that they all fell to the floor.

"Get out! I never want to see you again!" I shouted hysterically. "Get out!" I shouted again when both Phil and Renee stepped back while more nurses came in with some male nurses, no doubt to try and contain the situation before it got out of hand.

But it had already become out of hand once I laid eyes on the two people who I loathed more than anything in my life.

"I'll kill you myself! I swear I will!" I shouted furiously and was being surrounded by cautious nurses. But all I could do was shout and glare at Renee and Phil.

"Get out!" I shouted over and over again until my throat was raw. But that didn't stop the words from escaping my lips.

"You are no longer allowed to visit." a nurse said as she pushed Renee and Phil out of the room. They were no longer in sight but I could hear them arguing with the nurse. But the nurse wasn't having any of it, telling them that they were a danger to my health and that they were no longer able to visit me.

My breathing was still erratic but I let the pole drop from my hands, looking down at my pale, shaking hands and my bleeding arm where the Iv had once been. The tape had torn off some of my skin.

"Where is Dr. Gerandy? We need a sedative here!" a nurse shouted and I realized a little too late that I was being held down on my hospital bed by the nurses. My body was struggling against the weight instinctually.

"We can't find him!" another voice cried.

I was shaking my head and crying, my chest heaving with every breath that now seemed painful. Through my tears, I managed to see Dr. Cullen enter and push past the nurses before he injected me with a sedative.

"I hate them. Don't let them come here. They're... they can't..." my words began to slur and before I knew it, I was being pulled back into the world of no dreams, imprisoned until I woke once again.

Charlie had been made aware of the situation by the time that I woke up. And he sat tensely at my bedside. He said nothing but his eyes spoke volumes. He was sorry. He was sad. And he was furious.

I cried silently and he let me as he grabbed my hand, offering comfort without hugging my exhausted body.

"You're safe, Bella." he said quietly and I only seemed to cry more. It was one of the few things that he had first said to my when I first came to Forks. "They patched you up." he sighed and gestured to my left arm where I had previously ripped the Iv off in my incoherent fury. "I personally escorted them out of Forks. They won't be coming back." he said quietly.

I sniffed and wiped my tears away slowly, nodding.

"I can have you discharged today if you want to," he told me quietly.

"How long have I been here?" I asked him in return, unsure of how many days I had missed of school and how much I would have to make up.

"Its already the weekend. School just ended about an hour ago." he said quietly and I groaned. "We can go and pick up your school work on Monday. I don't want you worrying about anything so you can rest before you go back if that's your decision."

"Fine." I sighed heavily. "Can I be discharged today then?"

He nodded and left the room to get the papers from Dr. Gerandy. I looked down at my left arm where the bandage practically covered half of my forearm. I vaguely wondered how much skin I had torn off but was too wary to actually try and look.

A nurse helped me change and leave the room. I was handed off to Charlie even though I protested, telling him that I was strong enough to walk on my own by now. But he wouldn't hear any of it, being adamant about helping me.

"Just save your strength and rest over the weekend, Bells." he smiled at me as he drove us home.

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**A/N: Give me an R, give me an E, and now you can VIEW the box below! You could just maybe, um, I don't know?, drop your opinion inside. I'll see you guys soon x)**

**First review... gets a shout out! Whooooo! haha**

**- Eli**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: I'd like to thank you, all of you, for reading! Here we go, people! Take your seats and let's read the aftermath of Mama Renee's visit... gosh I'm evil. Hehem, let's not start though, without the shout out XD **

**SHOUT OUT TO ****jaspersgal1861****!**

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Chapter 13:

Monday started with me waking up from my blank world of imprisonment. I had been perscribed some sleeping pills that I would eventually not be using anymore so that I didn't get used to them.

I showered and changed warily, looking over at my image in the mirror. I had a short sleeved purple shirt with some dark wash jeans, a pair of balck slip on vans and a black sweater to hide my bandaged forearm.

I drove carefully with my right hand and only used my left hand when necessary. It still hurt to move it. So I tried to not use it as much as possible.

Eventually, I made it to the parking lot of the high school and slowly made my way to the Main Office, ready to turn in my note and get the stacks of missed homework for the days that I had missed of school. Charlie had asked for it, not wanting me walking around the school and bothering the teachers, knowing that it would probably embarass me.

After retrieving the large stack of homework, I put in my truck and then began to head towards school. All eyes were on me and I tugged on the left sleeve of my sweater self consciously even though I knew that nothing was showing.

"Hey, Bella." Jasper and Edward greeted me as I passed them on my way to my first period.

I didn't say anything and simply kept walking, tightening my grip on the strap of my backpack a bit. I kept my left arm close to my torso, trying to keep it from brushing against someone as I walked through the crowded halls.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up suddenly and I couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. I turned and felt my jaw clench with anger when I caught the gazes of Newton and Crowley standing across the hall and staring at me openly. Glaring at them furiously, I turned my back on them and walked to my first period.

"She's such a freak," Lauren Mallory, Crowley's girlfriend and the school whore, muttered as I passed by. I pulled my left arm closer to my torso and continued on walking, knowing that I needed to focus on school more than anything.

I wouldn't let them bait me.

"Its good to have you back, Bella." Mr. Varner smiled at me as I handed him my readmit and waited for him to sign it before taking my seat silently. I smiled back weakly, never speaking and methodically pulled out my notebook and pencil to start on my first day back at school.

I sighed deeply, stretching my hands later on in the day. My right hand was cramping from all of the notes that I had written in the day so far to keep up to where I had to be currently in my classes. Angela Webber was a huge help and kindly offered me her notes, telling me that I could give them back to her whenever I was done. No rush.

But I did rush. I didn't want to take advantage of her kindness. I spent most of my classes catching up and copying the notes that she'd lended to me before handing them back to her and thanking her silently.

By the time that lunch did come, I took my usual place outside holding my tray full of food on my right hand while my left arm was curled into my torso. My lunch didn't last long and I was soon interrupted by the presence of Newton and Crowley.

"Hey," Crowley whispered, sitting across from me and stretching his hand out to touch my own. I pulled mine back and glared at him.

"Do you think you're better than us, Bella? Is that it?" Newton sneered at me as he glared down at me.

"Leave me alone," I whispered, a warning clear in my voice.

"We have unfinished business, Swan." Newton snapped at me and pulled me out of my seat, sending my tray of food crashing down to the ground.

I whirled around and slapped him, sending him stumbling back in shock. He glared at me and moved to grab my left arm but was surprised to be kicked back and slammed onto the ground. Crowley shoved me off and I quickly moved onto him, kicking him in the face.

When Newton moved to get up from the ground, I slammed my hand down on his back, kicking his ribs.

"I told you to leave me the fuck alone." I snarled at him and frowned when I realized that my black sweater had splattered blood on it. Most likely from when I kicked Newton.

I grabbed my backpack, leaving both pricks groaning in pain on the wet cement. I grabbed my sweater gently, pulling it off of my body and looking up when I felt something off about the atmosphere. I was startled to see the Cullens standing across the courtyard, gaping at me.

Frowning, I pulled my jacket completely off of my body and walked to my next period as if nothing happened. I washed my hands before going to Biology, knowing that the blood wouldn't go away by itself. The bloody knuckles would need to be attended to quickly though. I dabbed away the bloody mess with some toilet paper before finally heading towards Biology.

"You're bleeding," Edward said, looking at me anxiously. I looked up at him blankly before turning away and tucking my left arm close into my torso, knowing that the bandaging was visible now thanks to my lacking sweater. "Are you all right, Bella?" he asked me quietly.

I didn't answer, ignoring him and painfully proceeding to write notes as soon as class began. I was the first out of the class room but was startled to find police cruisers parked in the parking lot.

"Miss Swan, can you please follow me to my office?" Principal Carter asked me quietly, flanked by two police officers.

I glanced back, realizing that several of the students had stopped on their way to their next period to see what was going on. And at the front of them all were the Cullens. Turning back, I followed the Principal and the two officers, knowing that Charlie would arrive soon.

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**A/N: Oooooh! Someone's in trouble! I remember when I... no, I never got into a fight. I think my friends at school knew not to mess with me cuz of one of my besties. She um, loved studying all sorts of wierd weaponry. Anyways, I love the girl and she keeps those things on roses away from me. (The pricks, ya know?) Well, I'll see you next time :D**

**- Eli**


	14. Chapter 14

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: SHOUT OUT to ****Kgunter34****! I won't hold you for very long but I'd like to thank you all for reading and giving my story a chance :) And now, drumroll please, I'd like to introduce you to the next chapter... um tissue warning (is that what they call it?) This kinda has a lot going on. You've been warned -_-**

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Chapter 14:

"How could you do this to my boy?!" Mrs. Newton shrieked at me the moment that I stepped into the Principal's office. Her voice overshadowed the voices of her husband and Crowley's parents.

"Mrs. Newton, please calm down. We don't know what happened yet," Principal Carter and the officers said, trying to placate the furious parents.

"I want her thrown in jail for assault!" Mr. Crowley shouted angrily.

"Then you won't mind if I return the favor, right?" Charlie's icy voice appeared behind me. He put a calming hand on my shoulder, standing at his full stature and looking as authorative as ever in his uniform.

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Crowley asked him tearfully.

"My daughter acted out in self defense." Charlie spoke up and the room fell silent.

"That's not true!" Newton and Crowley began to protest.

"We saw what happened," Jasper's voice startled me and I tensed. "Bella acted out in defense because Tyler and Mike were dragging her around."

"Shut up!" Crowley burst, looking furious and terrified.

"We have witnesses," Charlie said angrily. "Don't think you'll be able to snake your way out of this one," he said, narrowing his eyes at both pricks. "By the end of the week, you'll both be either serving some time in a juvenile center or have restraining orders placed against you with or without my daughter's statement."

"And how are you going to do that?" Mr. Newton asked Charlie angrily.

"You watch me." Charlie said darkly. "Just because these two punks think they can push around a girl, _my daughter_ no less, doesn't mean that they won't face the consequences. You'll regret the day that you put your hands on her."

I watched as both Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton's eyes went wide with fear as they realized that Charlie wasn't playing around. He was dead serious.

The officers left, knowing that their Chief was on the scene.

"Come on, Bells." Charlie said quietly, helping me out of the office with the Cullens following us at a distance. "You should get those checked," he told me quietly.

I looked down at my right hand, noticing for the first time the trail of blood that was dripping down from my knuckles and down my hand and onto the floor.

I sighed and he kissed my forehead.

"I feel like I should give you some sort of gun to keep you out of danger. You're always stumbling into problems." he said, looking at me with a bit of amusement.

I rolled my eyes at his words. They almost made me smile. I had, after all, stumbled over Jasper.

"I'm going to go ahead and get everything settled." Charlie cleared his throat awkwardly as he glanced over his shoulder at the Cullens not too subtley. "Are you all right for driving home?" he asked me and I nodded, smiling weakly back at him when he looked at me anxiously.

"All right. Well, you call me if you need anything." he said quietly and I nodded again, watching him as he walked away leaving me and the Cullens alone.

"So how've you been?" Emmett asked, clearing his throat nervously.

"Hospitalized," I said quietly, without looking at them, "as I'm sure that you've heard already. Carlisle was there after all."

There was no accusation or resentment in my voice. I couldn't hold it in me to be mad or upset anymore. I just felt numb... ever since Renee and Phil's latest and last visit. It was just a statement without emotion.

"You hurt yourself," Rosalie said as she glanced down at my bandaged forearm.

Another statement. One that I didn't acknowledge as they all looked at my forearm with concern.

"I'm clumsy," I said, chuckling humorlessly. "Thank you for what you did but you didn't have to." I said finally and they looked at me confused. "I said that I wouldn't tell anyone," I whispered and looked at Jasper, "so don't worry about trying to get some leverage over me. I don't need anyone's pity so can you just clear out?"

They looked at me in what seemed shock.

"Bella, we weren't trying to get leverage over you," Alice said, looking at me with a hurt expression. "We really wanted to help you."

"We're your friends, Bella." Jasper said, looking at me pleadingly, wanting me to understand. Understand what, I didn't know. And I didn't understand.

"Friends?" I asked, skepticism and anger coloring my tone. "Friends who have done what for me? What did you do, really? Did you help me and protect me when I was almost raped? Did you help Charlie put them in jail?"

"Bella, you didn't make a statement when you could have," Emmett said quietly. "We've been trying-"

"I didn't do anything because I said that I wouldn't tell anyone." I said furiously. "Did you think I was happy knowing that they were just a few rows away from me in class? That I could see them everyday? But then again, you're my _friends_ right? Yeah. You went out and told the police what really happened. You helped Charlie when he demanded justice. You didn't turn your back on me."

They stared at me open mouthed, stunned into silence by my fury and sarcasm. My accusations. They knew what they had done. They hadn't helped Charlie. And by doing that, they had turned their backs on me.

"I helped you, Jasper." I whispered as angry tears welled in my eyes. "A stranger on the side of the road. I didn't know you and I didn't pity you. I just knew that you needed help because you were hurt. Can you see how you returned the favor?"

Jasper lowered his eyes, sad and ashamed tears welling in his eyes.

"What I do from here on out isn't any of your business. Its mine. I'll take care of myself so you don't have to take pity on the clumsy Police Chief's daughter," I spat angrily before turning on my heel and heading towards my truck.

I wiped away my angry tears before they could fall and pulled out of the school parking lot, driving away from the Cullens.

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**A/N: Don't you hate it when people disappoint you? I swear to you that things will start looking up. Although I love writing drama and angst, or whatever you prefer to call it, I love me my HEA!**

**- Eli**


	15. Chapter 15

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO ****Kirsty'xo****! Thank you for reading. Here's the next chapter :) And I have to say that its one of my absolute favorites... call it a catalyst if you will x)**

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Chapter 15:

Three weeks passed and all I had left from my injuries passed were some barely there scars and a few bruises. But it had all seemed to clear out with time. The Cullens didn't bother to talk to me but I would catch their eyes on me from time to time.

"Bells, I'm doing security at the game. Are you sure you don't want to come?" Charlie asked me quietly.

Newton and Crowley were sent to a juvenile detention center after being served with a restraining order courtesy of Charlie. Their families moved out of Forks shortly and I was faced with their furious girlfriends, Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley.

They had insulted me and tried to humiliate me as much as possible, taking out their anger on me. But after I had pinned Lauren against the lockers when she'd tried to trip me when my arms were full of books, they didn't bother me anymore. I had had enough and they knew it. I wasn't going to take anything; I was still standing by my resolve. I was tired of being a pushover.

"C'mon, Bella. You're already done with you're homework," he said, looking at me pleadingly. "I'd feel much better if I could keep my eyes on you."

"Alright." I said and looked at him warningly when he smiled widely at me. "But only this one time."

"Thank you," he said, looking relieved. "Anyways, you never know? It might be fun."

I didn't say anything as I grabbed my jacket and hastily pulled on my shoes. I had always been fond of football. Charlie knew it too. He had wanted a boy, he'd confessed to me once, but he was glad that he'd gotten a girl.

He had played football when he'd been in high school and had bought jerseys and things themed around football for what he thought would be his son. He'd taught me to play football and even though I'd enjoyed the time we'd spent together practicing, I had given it up and had thrown myself into music.

I knew that he'd been disappointed since he'd told me that I had potential but he never opposed my choices and told me that he would always support me. I was thankful for that.

"Cmon, leave the music behind," he pleaded when he saw me grab my ipod.

"The music stays," I said sternly and he huffed playully looking irritated before ushering me out of the house and into the cruiser, telling me that we were going to be late.

We arrived rather quickly at Forks High School. Charlie quickly told me that the team was playing against a Prep school from Port Angeles. With the rivalry between the Forks team and the La Push team, you'd think that this would be like any other game. But it wasn't. Everyone was pumped and anticipation seemed to pour out of them as they all rushed to find seats.

I plugged in my headphones as Charlie told me where he'd be and told me to find a seat where he could easily see me. I smiled and went to find a seat in the bleachers that were quickly filling up.

I ended up sitting next to Angela and her family who all greeted me warmly. Charle waved at me, telling me that he knew where I was. I smiled and sat down in the bleachers, having only one of my headphones plugged in and the other unplugged so I could make sure I didn't miss anything if Angela tried to speak. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable and make her think that I was trying to shut her out.

We made small talk and spoke about school for the most part but said nothing otherwise and got lost in the game. I smiled as _All Roads Lead Home_ by Golden State began to play on my ipod and I watched with rapt attention as the game began to get intense.

_A million tears_

_A million codes_

_1:15 the way to go_

_You point your finger_

_To the moon_

_It looks like rain_

_Will come in soon_

I cheered with everyone as our team scored and jumped in excitement with Angela as we watched Edward grab the ball and make a run for it, being protected by Emmett and Jasper.

_I figured all my worst fears_

_Believe inches like years_

_But I don't wanna go_

_That way surrender home _

_Again_

_I don't wanna go that way _

_Surrender home and feel again_

_Your blood, your fire, your kiss goodnight_

_Your words and touch they might be mine_

_I feel this love could cross the sand _

_I wanna feel that way_

I shouted, cheering on Jasper when he caught the ball when Edward threw it. And then there was a huge dog pile. I smiled in relief when I saw that he was still holding the ball. He staggered a bit when he got up but he seemed alright otherwise.

_Run away_

_Don't fade away_

_These shadows run_

_From yesterday_

_Like everyone_

_And everything_

_Old memories and better beings_

_Your blood, your fire, your kiss goodnight_

_Your words and touch they might be mine_

_I feel this love could cross the sand _

_I wanna feel that way_

_Oh don't wanna feel that way_

_Don't make me feel that way_

_Don't wanna feel that way_

_I'm waking through these walls of steel_

_Pushing, I hope for something real_

_I fall and fall in faster see_

_We could (x6)_

_Everyone and everything_

_Everyone and everything_

The game continued on and my music continued to play. We were up by at least sixteen points and as time lessened, I could see that the Prep school team was getting desparate to score some points.

I was startled to see though, the crowd in front of us quickly duck for the ground. I realized a bit too late that the football had been thrown awkwardly in their desparation and was heading our way. Angela bent to shield her two younger brothers while her parents ducked into safety.

It was instinctual and I could practically hear the audience's sigh of relief when I caught the ball and threw it back into the field effortlessly. I blushed when people turned to look at me in surprise while Angela and her parents thanked me profusely, sure that they would have been hit with the way the ball was flying in their direction.

We won the game 47 to 32 later that night and I quickly bundled up, hugging Angela goodbye and waving goodnight to her parents before braving the crowd and making my way towards my dad.

"And here I thought you still couldn't throw and lost your skills," Charlie teased me as he hugged me tightly when I finally arrived in front of him.

"What are you talking about? I have no skills," I muttered. "It was nothing. Anyways, it wasn't like anyone saw it," I said, waving him off while blushing.

"Mhmm," he murmured disbelievingly. "I'm gonna go and make sure no one tries anything. Why don't you go and wait by the cruiser?"

"I'll go drink some water first," I told him, feeling a bit thirsty.

"_Fine, oh. You'll turn out fine. But you gotta keep your head up,_" I sang Andy Grammar's _Keep Your Head Up_ quietly as I walked to the closest water fountain. "_Oh, and you can let your hair down. Eh! You gotta keep your head up._"

I hummed the beat as I finally reached the water fountains and quickly took a drink. I was startled to see Coach Clapp, the football coach, and some of the football players standing behind him looking at me appraisingly.

I watched his lips move as he spoke to me and I quickly tugged my headphones out of my ears, looking at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. What?" I asked him and he smiled a bit, but looked serious otherwise.

"Isabella Swan, am I correct?" he asked me.

"Bella," I corrected, clearing my throat a bit.

"I wanted to know how long you've been playing football?" he asked me and I noticed that among some of the players was Emmett who was looking at me with something akin to awe. Why? I didn't know.

Guys are wierd.

"I don't." I shook my head. "I mean, I used to practice but I don't anymore."

He looked at me oddly, and I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly.

"Well, we've lost some key players thanks to some consequences of their actions," Coach Clapp began to say and I narrowed my eyes, knowing that he was talking about Crowley and Newton, "and we need replacements. We'd like for you to consider coming to try outs this week."

I looked at him disbelievingly before chuckling a bit.

"Did Charlie put you up to this?" I asked tiredly. "I told him to stop already."

"Charlie?" Lyle, the running back, asked me curiously.

"Yeah," I nodded. "You know, the last real star player Forks High School had before the athletics teams began to let anyone who wanted to play in on the team?"

Some of them narrowed their eyes at me.

"We've never heard of this Charlie," Tommy, one of the linebackers, said irritably. "Coach?" he asked, looking put out and angry.

"I didn't know Charlie played football," Emmett said, looking at me in surprise. The players looked at him and then me in confusion.

"You know Charlie?" Liam, another linebacker, asked Emmett. "Who is he?"

"Charlie," I sighed, "you know, Charles. Charles Swan. Police Chief of Forks, this town that you live in. My dad."

They all seemed to gape at me while Coach only nodded, knowing that I was right.

"Your _dad_? Chief Swan?" Tommy blurted out incredulously.

"Um, yeah." I said, looking at him as if he were stupid.

"Chief didn't ask me to do anything. I'm only doing this because I saw potential in that throw. I haven't seen it in a while," Coach Clapp said, interrupting the guys' shocked questions.

"That's because he taught me how to throw," I said, getting irritated at the fact that Coach Clapp had come on his own free will. If Charlie caught wind of this, heaven knows he wouldn't let it go. And nothing was ever kept a secret for long in the small town of Forks.

"What do you say, Bella?" Coach Clapp asked me, looking a bit desparate himself.

"I don't play football anymore," I said, shaking my head. "Anyways, I wouldn't be any good."

"You caught that ball easily. You could play," Emmett cut in and I looked at the four players that had accompanied Coach Clapp in trying to recruit me. They looked a bit reluctant themselves but knew that I was probably what the team needed.

"Yeah, that's not what I meant. I can run, block, catch, and throw. No problem. Walking," I said with a frown, "now, that's a big problem. You saw me, Em," I said, unintentionally using his knickname, "I slammed into the lockers because I stepped into a puddle. _A puddle_!"

He smiled a bit shook his head.

"Anyways, I'm a klutz." I said. "It isn't going to work out even if I do agree to this crazy offer."

"Think about it," Coach Clapp smiled a me and I sighed but didn't say anything. They walked away and I knew that I needed to get to the cruiser before Charlie freaked out more than he should.

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**A/N: "Football, you say? What is she thinking bringing a sport into all of this madness?!" I'll tell you why! ...Cuz I love football. Honest truth, though, I can't keep up with it all. But I enjoy watching the sport and get caught up in the excitement. Don't expect me to go into a football announcer's tirade on the passes and the points, yellow flags, penalties and whatnot. I'd probably just botch it up and I have enough respect for the sport to not even go there. So R&R and I'll see you soon :)**

**- Eli**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT TO ****rocklesson86****! Secondly, I'd like to thank you for reading. And last of all, please enjoy! hehe**

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Chapter 16:

I spent the next week receiving hopeful glances from the Cullens as well as the majority of my peers. Apparently, word had spread throught the school about Coach Clapp's offer. And then Charlie caught wind of the news.

He was a completely different story, prodding me on my thoughts and encouraging me as subtly as he could to join the team.

"Jasper talked to me yesterday," Charlie cleared his throat at dinner on Wednesday.

I looked up at him curiously, knowing that the Cullens weren't a topic for dinner since he knew that I didn't want to speak about them. They hadn't proved to be good friends. Jasper being the main one.

"Yeah?" I asked, feigning a bit of interest. He wasn't fooled. He knew that I didn't like to talk about any of them.

"Yes," he said roughly. "And he told me about what you did for him. How that Newton kid and Crowley kid beat him up because of some bet that he didn't uphold when he lost. Apparently he was supposed to make some play and follow through but he wasn't able to and it lost them the game. Losing the game seemed to be worse for them and everyone had been mad. I remembered being a bit disappointed at the loss."

I stared down at my plate, knowing that Emmett, Edward, and I had been the only other ones to really hear the full story out of Jasper.

"He was guilty over it and got beat up for his mistake. And then you found him. He's sad to have lost you for a friend," Charlie said quietly and I bit my lip.

"Are you going to use this against him? Does Coach Clapp know?" I asked warily.

"No to the first. He's a good kid who just did something wrong. And they miss you, the Cullens. Clapp does know but he understands and knows now that kicking those two brats off the team was a good choice." He said and I nodded quietly.

"Thanks dad. For telling me," I said with a small smile. He nodded and changed the subject to my music. I smiled, thanking him silently. I loved to sing but hated singing in front of a crowd, not particularily liking the attention that it brought.

Charlie always complimented me, telling me that I had talent. He'd encouraged me in playing the guitar or any instrument so that it could accompany my voice. I'd started with the guitar but never really had much patience for it. So I switched over to the piano.

And, unfortunately, my piano had stayed back with Renee and Phil. As much as I loved it, I would never go back. Not to Phoenix. So I was raising up money for another one.

Every once in a while, though, I did eventually pick up the guitar I'd brought with me but didn't play it much. Lately, I'd just resorted to singing along to my ipod's songs.

We talked about it before we both headed off to bed after I washed the dishes. Charlie stayed in the living room for a bit longer, staying up to watch the news while I went to bed.

The next morning, I felt lighter than I had for weeks and I knew that I couldn't really hold anything against the Cullens. Jasper had thrown the ball in my court, redeeming himself and telling me that it was my move now. He'd done something that could've got him kicked off the team but he did it anyways.

I drove to school, telling Charlie that I would probably be a bit late in coming home and he only smiled telling me to be careful. I grabbed his old equipment and shoved them in the passenger seat, still not sure if I was really going to do this.

The day passed on like nothing and I ate lunch in peace, under the shade of a tree with my jacket keeping me nice and warm. Try outs had been taking place all week long, Coach Clapp giving me more than enough time to think this through. I watched as everyone slowly left after school while the try outs still took place, Coach Clapp taking advantage of my absence and using it to make the team practice.

I sighed as I warily made my way over to the football field. I walked slowly towards the bleachers, watching as the guys practiced and perfected the game plays as Coach Clapp shouted at them angrily.

It wasn't long before Jasper finally noticed me and was tackled down by one of his team mates who was running to catch the ball. Coach shouted at him furiously, demanding to know what his problem was. Jasper turned to point at me and I could feel the blood rush to my face as Coach pulled up short when he looked at me.

The players stopped practicing and fell silent as they watched Coach Clapp approach me.

"Are you here to try out?" he asked me as I slowly began to approach him as well, deciding to meet him halfway.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"What changed your mind? You haven't come the past three days," he asked me, crossing his arms in front of his broad muscled chest.

Mimicking Jasper's gesture, I turned and pointed straight at him. Coach raised an eyebrow as he turned to follow my finger's indication and nodded curtly.

"Should I get some equipment or should I just be like this?" I asked him and he looked at me warily.

"Do you mind getting dirty or are you alright with it?" he asked me and I shrugged.

"I don't mind dirt," I said quietly. He smiled widely then and nodded, waving me forward. "That doesn't mean that my cell phone or ipod don't." I said, pulling said objects out of my pockets and he nodded.

"You can leave them with Cullen," he said and waved Edward forward. I warily handed my cell phone over before reluctantly handing over my ipod. My cell phone, I could live without for a few days or so. My ipod, not so much. I slept with my music. It was my only way of being able to sleep lately.

I sighed heavily as I followed Coach onto the field where the players stepped aside, watching us warily. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw some movement over to the side. I turned to look and was startled to see Charlie and some officers sitting comfortably in the bleachers.

Blushing, I bowed my head and continued to follow Coach.

"Is there any position that you want to try out for?" he asked me and I shrugged again.

"Anything on the Offense I guess." I said with a bit of a smile. He nodded and called over Emmett, Lyle, and Edward. I watched as he directed them, telling them to keep a close distance in case I didn't throw far.

I rolled my eyes but said nothing as Coach handed Edward the ball. I stepped off to the side, knowing that I would have to try and catch the ball when Edward threw it out. Coach was testing how good I could catch.

"Don't really tackle her down!" Coach called to Lyle and Emmett. "Just push her!"

I huffed and watched as Edward threw the ball in my general direction, making it easy for me to catch the ball. I watched the direction he threw it before watching the field and taking off to the spot where I knew it would most likely land. I heard Charlie begin to cheer as I ran through the wet grass and dodged Lyle and jumped over Emmett, catching the ball at the same time.

"Totally unfair, Bella!" Emmett burst as Charlie and the officers cheered loudly from the bleachers. "You can't jump!"

"Where in the rule book does it say that you can't jump?" I asked him as I passed him the ball. He frowned at me but then grinned playfully.

"Emmett, hold the ball down. Bella, I want you to kick it as far as you can!" Coach shouted over to us and Emmett kneeled down in front of me, warning me silently not to kick him.

"Oh, come on Em," I teased in a low voice as I began to back away, "its not like you need your face."

"Hey!" he cried, looking offended and I grinned before running towards him. He turned his face to the side when I neared him and kicked the ball out of his grasp. He sighed in what seemed relief and clutched at his face dramatically.

"Its still here! I have my face," he shouted making me laugh loudly.

I hadn't even been paying attention to the distance the ball had gone as I laughed at Emmett's antics. We both stopped laughing when we realized that the field had fallen silent.

"Good job," Coach called out to me finally when we realized that I had kicked it through the field goal effortlessly. Emmett patted me on the back and I quickly turned from him, pretending to girlishly shriek and be annoyed that he would touch me with his dirty hands. I blushed when I heard Charlie cheer loudly and I grinned over at him before walking back over to the team with Emmett at my side.

"Alright. Let's see how far you can throw," Coach told me as he positioned me at one end of the field, telling me to throw the ball after handing it to me.

I twirled the ball in my hands, feeling a bit nervous for the first time.

"Hey," my dad's voice startled me. I raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled at me.

"Look ahead," he said, repeating the words he'd always told me before. Look ahead. I nodded and he stepped back, smiling widely at me as he watched me.

I relaxed my shoulders as I positioned the ball correctly in my hands before pulling my arm back and throwing it. I watched it sail and bit my lip nervously as I felt everyone watch on in anticipation.

"If you're sure," Coach stretched out his hand to me as the ball sailed through the field goal that was on the other side of the gridiron, "this isn't a part time job. Its a commitment."

I bit my lip as I looked at his hand which was ready to seal the deal once I shook it. The guys tensed around me and I looked up at Coach.

"We can work around school and music, Bells." Charlie assured me quietly and I nodded, knowing that I could do it. I shook Coach's hand and smiled back at him as he thanked me sincerely.

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**A/N: Yes we can. And we will! Because we love football and we love music. (Please be aware that I am talking about me, myself, and I. Come to think of it, I'm up a bit too late and need rest so that may be why) I'd like to say that I'm not a particular fan of any one team, I just got into it in high school. I just love the sport, period. lol Sooooooooo, whaddaya think? The box below might let you get some thoughts off your mind. Just sayin'**

**Shout out to the first one of y'all who reviews :D**

**- Eli**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: Enjoy, read, review. Let's all do this, shall we? SHOUT OUT TO ****cutebluepandas****! Hope you like :)**

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Chapter 17:

"Here's the playbook," Liam pushed a blue folder in my direction as I shoved my equipment in my new locker in the boy's locker room. I would have to pick up my things here and change in the bathrooms where I would have my privacy.

"You sure are smug about this, aren't you?" Fabian, one of the defense players, sneered down at me. It was clear since I joined last week that I had my own group of haters among the team. And Fabian was their leader.

"I didn't say anything," I said as I grabbed my backpack and books.

"You didn't have to," he sneered down at me. "You haven't even been properly hazed."

I narrowed my eyes at him quickly pulled out my can of pepper spray, irritated that I'd left my can of mace in my other locker.

"I don't need a hazing. And if you threaten me or even think of touching me, you'll have an eyeful of mace," I snapped at him. Some boys watched us warily but said nothing as Fabian frowned down at me.

"Sure, protect yourself with daddy's little can," he grinned down at me.

"I don't need the can. I can easily sever you nuts. How's that?" I asked, lowering the can and narrowing my eyes at him.

He stepped back immediately. "You're bluffing."

"Try me," I grinned at him.

"Butch," he spat at me and I grinned back at him.

"Cocksucker," I snapped at him before slamming my locker closed and walking away.

I huffed and walked out of the locker room, rushing into the cafeteria to get some food for lunch before running back out. I ate quietly under the tree as I read the plays intently.

"Getting started in on the playbook already?" Jasper's voice startled me and I turned to look at him in surprise.

"Uh, yeah." I nodded, clearing my throat. "Just got it today."

"Can I sit here?" he asked me, finally getting to the point instead of beating around the bush. I looked up at him before patting the spot next to me on the bench. He smiled a bit and grabbed his backpack before sitting down next to me.

We sat in what seemed to be a tense silence before he finally spoke. "I talked to your dad."

"I know," I nodded and he looked straight ahead, not knowing what to do with my answer.

"I'm sorry. All of us. But really, it was just me. I made a mistake and took your friendship for granted. You got hurt and I was being a coward." He said before stopping and bowing his head in shame.

I nudged him with my arm, throwing him off guard. He turned to look at me, startled and I smiled a bit.

"Don't do it again. You're a great friend, Jasper. You just need to work on your people skills," I said quietly and he grinned at me.

"I'll be a better friend," he promised and I laughed, shaking my head at him.

"You should not make promises like that," I warned him and he furrowed his brow at me.

"I keep my promises, Bella." he told me firmly.

"I know. Which makes me think of all sorts of things and use it against you," I grinned evilly and he laughed.

"Nothing serious, right?" he asked me quietly, pretending to look scared.

"We'll start easy for now," I smiled. "I don't think I'll be able to finish all of this sandwhich. If you plan to be a better friend then you need to eat half."

I shoved half of the turkey sandwhich into his hands and he looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"I think I can handle that," he nodded, unwrapping the half from the plastic wrap and biting into it. I smiled and we ate in silence.

"What about my siblings?" he asked me quietly as he helped me review the playbook with me. "Are you still mad at them?"

"I was never really mad at you guys. I just didn't want to talk to you guys," I said quietly and frowned a bit as he stared at me, "I made a promise to myself when I first got here, Jazz."

He stayed silent, suddenly sensing that I was speaking seriously.

"I was always a pushover back when I lived in Phoenix. Up to the point that Renee, my mom... her new husband tried to take advantage of me." I said and sighed as I traced the circles and the exes in the page of the playbook that was open. "She didn't do anything and it left me a bit shaken. More than I care to admit, really."

I smiled up at him, pained.

"What happened?" he asked me quietly. "To them? Where are they now?"

"They're back in Phoenix. I ran away and came here. I promised to stop being a pushover. I know how to defend myself I just never did. Not really. And then I stumbled over you and I wanted to help someone without being taken advantage of. You weren't like that, I know. But I don't ever want it to happen again," I said quietly.

"Did they visit you at the hospital, Renee and her husband?" he asked me quietly and I nodded, wiping away my tears before they fell. "Your arm..."

I nodded again and he sighed.

"You are anything but a pushover," he said quietly. "You're brave for putting up with all of this. And, if anything, you're a great friend. One of my best friends, even."

I choked on a laugh and shook my head to myself.

"So," he cleared his throat nervously now, "is it true you can sever a guy's nuts?"

I turned to look at him, startled before I burst into a fit of laughter.

I was startled to be thrown back by Lyle. I held the ball close, refusing to let go even though a lot of the players fought to get the ball out of my hands. This was just practice and it was rough. I knew that this was going to be hard. Charlie never hit me hard enough when we practiced but he made sure I was always prepared for the roughest tackles.

For the latter, I will be forever thankful.

"Swan, what's the matter?! He was right in your line of sight!" Coach shouted, not holding back as soon as I got out of the dog pile. He wasn't worried about me dropping the ball. I hadn't done that since we'd started practice with me as the newbie. Of course the guy that was supposed to be covering for me, Gill, wasn't particularily fond of me and wasn't blocking for me like how he should. But, of course, no one was calling him out on it.

"There's no excuse!" he bellowed furiously and I huffed, knowing that this was just him taking out his frustration on me because of all the success we'd had this practice. Or lack thereof.

"Keep your eyes on the field, Swan." He huffed, settling down some. I didn't say anything and simply walked back into the field, taking my spot across from Edward and next to Emmett.

"Don't coddle me," I warned Edward when he opened his mouth to say something. He grinned and shook his head.

"I wasn't going to." he shook his head at me. "If you look at a player's stance or their body language you can tell how hard they're going to tackle you."

"This coming from the quarterback," I muttered, raising my eyebrow at him. He grinned.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"And how is this supposed to help?" I asked him.

"You're supposed to catch my throws. You need to know who's coming after you," he murmured back as we all got into our places.

"Sure," I muttered disbelievingly.

"Fine." he shrugged nonchalantly. "Just watch out for 47."

I glanced over at Tommy who was glaring at Emmett and frowned, not knowing what Edward meant. The play was called and Edward caught the ball before throwing it. I rushed forward, catching the ball midair and landing safely before taking off.

I was completely caught off guard when Tommy tackled me down.

"Come on!" Tommy snickered as he helped me back onto my feet while Coach began to throw another tantrum.

"Told you," Edward muttered as Coach began to shout at me again.

I huffed and took off my helmet, completely frustrated and annoyed.

"One more time," Coach called to us and I adjusted the pony tail my hair was in before putting my helmet back in and shoving my mouthguard in.

"Look ahead. Look ahead," I muttered to myself around my mouthguard as the play was called and I took off running after the ball once Edward threw it. I caught it and dodged Tommy this time but was unable to dodge Frank, a guy from the opposing side.

"Damnit!" I huffed, pulling myself up to my feet.

"Swan!" Coach began to shout again as I yanked my helmet off of my head and passed Frank who was watching me warily. I stomped angrily towards Gill who was now looking at me warily.

I angrily grabbed him by his shoulder pads and threw him to the side, making him loudly land on the ground.

"What the fuck?!" he shouted as he stumbled up to his feet.

"That's what I should be saying!" I shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing? Can't you fucking block for me or what?"

He gaped at me as the guys stared at us unmovingly.

"Answer me," I shouted furiously, "because I'm over here getting tackled by Tommy, Frank, Lyle, and everyone else. And where the hell are you? I'm getting shit and you're standing back smirking to yourself."

"Then give up," he sneered down at me.

"I have half a right mind to kick your fucking ass!" I shouted shoving him back. "I didn't come here to be pushed around, Gill. I came here to play. And if you can't be a team mate then you better expect to get shit from me because its unfair that I'm the only one getting shit from Coach!"

He glared down at me.

"Punch me," I glared up at him. "I dare you. And I'll fucking castrate you. Don't fucking tempt me."

He huffed before throwing his hands up in the air and walking away.

"Alright, let's get back in." Coach called us back to attention. I wiped the mud off of my hands and shoved my helmet back on my head.

"Should I kick his ass?" Jasper muttered as he threw an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey, paws off my bestie!" Emmett shoved at Jazz.

I leaned against Edward when he came up to us and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked back to our places.

"Who's next?" I asked him and he grinned at me, knowing that I was asking for his help.

"Let's see." He grinned as we all got into our places and the same play was called in again.

"This time its 38 and 47," Edward murmured to me and I groaned quietly, chanting Charlie's advice in my head over and over again.

This time I ran the long way for the ball, going around Gill who seemed unfazed by my earlier confrontation. He was quickly taken down by 38 when he was unable to stop running and they crashed. I jumped to the side once I caught the ball, easily dodging 47 and passing the ball over to Jasper as I was supposed to do so many times before.

He rushed to the field goal and I grinned when he scored and cheered loudly, his Southern accent popping up and making me laugh.

"Thanks," I grinned at Edward when all of the guys rushed towards Jasper and cheered as well. He simply grinned back at me and shrugged.

"Just helping out a friend," he said with a shrug. I laughed and shook my head, getting back into position when Coach called us all back, telling us to do it over again.

* * *

**A/N: Don't you guys just love that they're friends again? I love it! It awesome and full of sunshine and rainbows. But not everything is sunshine and rainbows all the time. Or, well it doesn't stay that way. Next chaps full of fun. I thought I'd give you guys a break and give you something light.**

**Besides that, anyone else counting down until BD-part 2 comes out? I'm so excited! (Of course I love the books more than the movies but I'm too curious for my own good. And as far as the movies go, I've liked them so far. They're not my absolute favorites but they've gotten better with eavh new one. And now Breaking Dawn is coming! *squeals*) haha**

**- Eli**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: Random/or-not-so-Random Question: Do you ever catch yourself singing aloud to your music? I do it all the time. So here we go, the next chapter! In my head, it sound like something from Stark Trek or Transformers with Optimus Prime or Spok narrating. Haha**

**SHOUT OUT TO ****sujari6****! Thank you so much for reviewing :D**

* * *

Chapter 18:

"_Save me, I'm lost. Oh, Lord I've been waiting for you. I'll pay any cost,_" I sang Carolina Liar's _Show Me What I'm Looking For_ as I walked over to my truck with one head phone in and my books in my hands. "_Save me from being confused. Show me what I'm looking for. Show me what I'm looking for._"

"You have a beautiful voice," Edward's voice startled me.

I turned, surprised to see him and some almost all of the football team standing there, gaping at me. I felt my blood rush to my face as I looked at them in shock.

"I, uh, yeah. I guess so," I stuttered.

"Have you tried singing professionally?" Jasper asked me.

I frowned, remembering my lost piano back in Phoenix. "I haven't thought about it in a while. Dad said he'd help me and all but he's more excited about this than my singing lately."

"This being..." Lyle trailed off.

"Football. He always wanted me to play. I did like it back when I was younger," I said with a bit of a shrug. "But things change and I love music."

"Music? That's what you're into?" Tommy asked me skeptically.

"Yeah," I said, getting defensive. "What of it?"

"Well, I can't see you rocking out on an electric guitar," he said, getting defensive himself.

"That's because I don't play the guitar," I snapped at him. _Not an electric anyways..._

"Alright. Before things get out of hand we were just wondering if you wanted to join us down at the Diner," Emmett said, stopping an argument in its tracks. "They have huge burgers and awsome fries! And the milkshakes... mmm!" He hummed with what seemed pleasure. "You have to join us, Bells!"

I sighed, twisting my head phones in my fingers.

"I actually need to get home and get started on the cooking. Dad said he was sure that he'd be coming tonight," I said apologetically.

"Well, can't you cancel?" Frank asked me, raising an eyebrow in irritation.

I opened my mouth to tell him that I couldn't but was stopped when my cell phone suddenly rang.

"Hey, Bells I'm sorry kiddo," Charlie said in a rush. "I can't make it tonight. I'll make it up to you, yeah? We can practice your throws later on tomorrow. I have the day off."

"Oh, yeah," I muttered lamely. "I was going to go out anyways. Don't worry about it."

"Alright. Great! You're making friends already," he said and quickly muttered his goodbye before hanging up.

"Change in plans?" Jasper asked me quietly.

"Yeah," I said and shrugged. "No big deal. Happens all the time."

"Sure. Well, do you wanna just meet up over there?" Edward asked me quietly. I nodded, knowing that I had no other options.

Huffing, I plugged one headphone in my ear as I jumped into my truck and shoved my books and back pack in the passenger seat. I followed Edward's Volvo as he drove towards the Diner and soon we were being seated by a waitress and being served our food and drinks.

"Tea?" Emmett raised an eyebrow at my choice of beverage.

"Rasberry iced tea," I clarified and he grinned.

"Is there a difference?" he asked me smartly.

"The temperature," I sassed and he laughed loudly.

I ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a large cup of rasberry iced tea and watched as all of the guys pigged out while I ate slowly, trying to savor my food.

"There's no need to impress anyone, princess. You're among the guys," Gill spoke through his fries.

"And I'd like to savor my food unlike you guys. Not inhale it," I muttered as I took out the pickles from my hamburger and putting them on my plate and away from me.

"No way, Bella! You can't not like pickles!" Emmett and Jasper cried at the same time before snatching them off of my plate and arguing over them.

"They're disgusting. She's right to take them out of her hamburger." Edward said and I smiled a bit, thankful that I wasn't the only one that didn't like pickles.

"Aww, look! Eddie's turning into a girl now," Fabian mocked loudly.

"It looks like you're all turning into girls now," a deep voice came from the side of our table and we turned to see a group of guys gathered there. Tan skin and cropped black hair. I frowned into my burger but continued to eat as if nothing were happening.

"Says the mutt," Gill snapped over at the boy.

"Watch it Fish!" one of them snapped, glaring furiously at Gill. I chewed my food harder, trying not to laugh desparately.

"Cool it, Uley. There's no need to get so worked up," Emmett grinned good naturedly.

"Shut it, Cullen." Three boys said all at once, startling me.

"Why don't you take your own advice. Get out of here," Jasper said in a low warning voice. "Before you do something you regret."

"Why is it that you have a girl on your team? Are you guys that desparate since Gecko and Crawler were kicked off?" a familiar deep voice asked.

I choked on my fries and quickly grabbed my iced tea, drawing unwanted attention towards me. I turned to look up and was startled to see an old friend of mine. Jacob Black.

"Bella?" he asked, looking surprised.

"No, its another girl you dipshit." I muttered, grabbing my car keys and telling the guys that I was leaving.

"Whoa. I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, looking apologetic immediately.

"What? Girls can't play football all of a sudden? If I remember correctly, I taught _you_ how to play," I snapped at him angrily.

"Wait up. I said I didn't mean it like that. You know that I wouldn't ever do anything to insult you. You're like my sister!" he cried suddenly, grabbing my arm and stopping me from leaving. I pulled my arm out of his grasp and glared up at him.

"Hands off. Don't touch me," I snapped at him and he immediately shoved his hands in his pockets. I huffed and glared at the ground between us, not knowing what to say or do except feel extremely irritated at him.

"Should I walk you to your truck?" Jasper's voice came from beside me.

"Yeah. Thanks, Jazz." I said with a nod. He smiled and pushed past Jacob and led me out of the diner, telling me the guys would pay.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Jasper asked me quietly as we walked to my truck. I grimaced when I recalled my dad's excited words of wanting to practice more football tomorrow.

"Please don't tell me you're trying to hit on me. Because I will be forced to tell Alice," I warned him and he chuckled.

"No. I love Alice. And you're one of my best friends, Bella." He told me and I smiled, thanking him.

"I'm planning on walking," I told him and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Where?" he asked.

"Anywhere. I just want to get out and sing for a while." I muttered and he smiled a bit.

"Would you mind some company?" he asked me quietly. "We can make it a gathering. We can all sing."

I smiled, laughing a bit at his sudden enthusiasm.

"Sure. That'd be great." I said as I opened the door to my truck. "Thanks, Jazz."

He grinned and nodded, warning me not to slip as I got in my truck. I glared at him before pulling out and calling out a goodbye, driving away.

* * *

**A/N: And I give you Jacob Black, people! But I'd like to clarify now before any of you guys get any ideas, this is and ExB story. I'm Team Edward and although I love Jasper to death, my loyalties won't ever change. Just because he may seem to interact with Bella a bit more than Edward doesn't mean the pairing will change. Give it some time. So here we go, give me something to read for a change and review :) I'll see you guys next time!**

**I will be updating again in a few hours because I haven't been keeping up with the updates. So Chapter 19 will be posted up when I wake up tomorrow. Hopefull before I go to see Breaking Dawn XD I'm so excited!**

**- Eli**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: Shout out to **booksxforxlife**! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

* * *

Chapter 19:

I rushed through my morning routine the next day, Friday, and practically ran to my truck before Charlie could say anything to get my reassurance on playing more football today. School flew by rather quickly. Soon, I was driving home after Edward told me that they would meet me at my house later.

I was startled to find out that we had guests when I arrived home from school.

"Hey, Bella. I haven't seen you in a long while," Billy smiled up at me from his wheel chair.

I greeted him politely before my eyes darted between Billy, Charlie, and Jacob. They all seemed a bit excited but also wary. Why? I didn't know.

Charlie and Billy gossipped like old ladies. Jacob and I had been great friends since we were in diapers. And I knew that our dads, who were best friends from birth themselves, had hoped that we would get into a romantic relationship rather than the platonic one we had currently.

"Are you ready, kiddo?" Charlie asked me and I momentarily felt bad to disappoint him. "Why aren't you dressed for practice? This could get a bit messy, ya know?" he said with a grin.

"Um, actually," I cleared my throat. "I was planning on going out with some friends."

"Oh," Charlie said, looking surprised and caught off guard by my words. "I thought we had this planned out though. Didn't you want to practice more? Your blocking could use some working on," he told me with a clearing of his throat.

I stared up at him, not believing how hypocritical and insensitive he was being.

"My block is just fine, dad." I said, getting irritated. "What I would like some practice on is my singing. We agreed that we'd split all of this with school and music."

He frowned at me then.

"Bella, you won't be able to get anything out of music. But you could go far in football," he said, looking adamant.

"Charlie," Billy cleared his throat, stopping him from continuing. "Let's just stop right there."

"Yeah," I muttered, turning away before I could let the tears that burned in my eyes fall. "We've said enough anyways. I'm going out, dad. You can play football by yourself or whatever."

"Bella," he called after me as I grabbed my ipod and cell phone as I rushed out of the house. "Wait. I didn't mean that."

"I'm going out dad," I said sharply, wanting more than anything to be anywhere but there. I rushed out of the house and pulled out of the driveway, honking over to the silver Volvo where the my friends were stuffed in with Edward driving them.

Edward waved back and nodded for me to go first. I smiled a bit and plugged in my ipod in my car, letting the music fill me up.

_I have been searching for your touch_

_Unlike any touch I've ever known_

_And I never thought about you much_

_Til I'm broken down and all alone_

_Though I don't understand the meaning of love_

_I do not mind if I die trying_

_Took you for granted when you lifted me up_

_I'm asking for your help_

_I am going through hell_

_Afraid nothing can save me_

_But the sound of your voice_

_You cut out all the noise_

_And now that I can see the state so clearly now_

_I'd kill if I could take you back _

_But how?_

_But how?_

It was called _How_ by Maroon 5. And I was belting it at the tops of my lungs as my ipod shuffled my music, playing them at random.

I parked at an abandoned park, making sure to get into a spot where there was an adjacent empty spot for Edward to park in. He did and I watched as they all got out. I pulled out my ipod and hummed along, greeting Alice and Rosalie as they got out of the car. We hardly talked anymore even though we tried to see more of each other. Truth was, I saw more of the guys than I did them.

I watched as Emmett hugged Rose from behind, making her smile. Jasper pulled Alice into his side and I grinned at Edward who stood by awkwardly. I handed him one of my earbuds and he smiled at me, taking it with a crooked grin that made my heart splutter.

"Who's this?" he asked me, looking at me curiously.

"Thriving Ivory. They've been my latest obsession," I confessed as _Cobwebs_ came on and he listened intently. He looked up at me and I could feel some sort of electricity run in the air that surrounded us.

"Why here?" Rose asked me, breaking the connection as I quickly looked away from Edward. I cleared my throat as I blushed.

"I used to come here as a kid. This is where my dad always brought me when I wanted to sing. No one comes here and its liberating to be able to sing out loud," I explained with a shrug.

_Stutter_ by Maroon 5 came on and I blushed as Edward and I glanced at each other. He grabbed my ipod away from my hands before I could change it.

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"What's this one?" he asked me and _Run_ by Thriving Ivory came on. I stared at him in surprise. "I've heard this song before," he said, sounding surprised himself. I shot him a glare. "Its not a bad thing," he waved me off and I raised my eyebrow at him as we listened to the song.

"Alright, so what songs are we doing?" Alice asked me excitedly.

"Well, who are your favorite artists? We'll start with that and go from there," I said and laughed when their voices overlapped each other.

"Black Eyed Peas!"

"Eminem!"

"Nelly Furtado!"

"Lady Gaga!"

"Debussy!"

I smiled at all of their answers as they all suddenly turned to one another and either started to protest against each other's answers or agree.

"Any favorite songs?" I inquired.

"Pump it."

"Maneater."

"Cleaning out My Closet."

"Vanity."

"Claire de Lune."

"Your can't sing to that song, Eddie," Emmett scolded him and I watched as Edward huffed but narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Claire de Lune is one of my favorites too!" I smiled at him and he grinned back. "I also love Arabesque No.1," I said with a smile as I sighed dreamily. "It always gives me these soothing feelings, ya know?" I asked him and was startled to see him gaping at me openly.

"What?" I asked, blushing suddenly.

"Nothing," he cleared his throat. "I just... I don't really know many people who enjoy the classics," he said, blushing a bit.

I smiled at him as I pressed my hands to my cheeks, trying to cool them down.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Alright, if you two are done bonding over stupid shit can we choose a song now?" Emmett huffed and I glared at him but blushed harder.

"Its not stupid!" I snapped at him and was startled when I realized that Edward had said the words with me.

"Moving on," Alice said, stopping an argument from ensuing then and there.

"Alright, so let's vote on these songs," I said and they all frowned at each other.

"Well, its obvious that Eddie's song is out. Besides the fact that you can't sing it, no one would even vote for it." Emmett said, smirking at a scowling Edward.

"I'd vote for it," I said, glaring at him. "Its a good song."

He rolled his eyes but said nothing more. Edward smiled at me, looking grateful.

"Out of our choices, which one would you all feel comfortable singing?" I asked them and they looked at each other, silently having a conversation.

"Maneater."

Alice giggled wildly and did a little dance, being so excited that her song won. We decided that the guys would start off the song and Alice, Rose, and I would sing together. Luckily, I had the song on my ipod. And we used Edward's volvo as our stereo to Alice's insistence.

And no one could resist Alice.

I almost felt bad for Edward. He was helpless against her pout despite his attempts to resist even looking at her.

_Take it back_

_Oh_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everybody look at me, me_

_I walk in the door you start screaming_

_Come on, everybody_

_What you here for?_

_Move your body around like a nympho_

_Everybody get your neck to crack around_

_All you crazy people_

_Come on, jump around_

_I wanna see you all on your knees, knees_

_You either wanna be with me or be me_

I laughed when Rosalie and Alice pulled me aside, moving their hips and gesturing for me to dance along with them. I laughed as we continued to sing and moved along with them until we were moving in synch next to each other.

_Come on now_

_Maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Make you fall real hard in love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Wish you never ever met her at all_

_And when she walks she walks with passion_

_When she talks, she talks like she can handle it_

_When she asks for something boy she means it_

_Even if you never ever see it_

_Everybody get your neck to crach around_

_All you crazy people come on, jump around_

_You doing anything to keep her by your side_

_Because she says she love you, love you long time_

I followed Alice's and Rose's lead as they dipped down and stood up quickly, dancing along to the music. Rose grabbed Alice and twirled her around. I grabbed Rose's hand and twirled her around, making her laugh. I smiled when I heard the guys laugh behind us at our antics. I shrieked when Alice and Rose grabbed my hands and twirled me around before we started moving along to the music again and continued to sing.

_Come on now_

_Maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Make you fall real hard in love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Wish you never ever met her at all_

_Ah-ah-ah_

_Oh!_

_Ah-ah-ah_

_Oh!_

_Ah-ah-ah_

_Oh!_

_Ah-ah-ah_

_Yeah!_

_Come on now_

I laughed as the guys grabbed us; Emmett grabbing Rosalie, Jasper grabbing Alice, and Edward grabbing me. I smiled up at him as they pulled us close and pretended to push us away before pulling us back in. And then Rose, Alice, and I moved away from them, dancing to the music as the chorus came back on.

_Maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Make you fall real hard in love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you work hard_

_Make you spend hard_

_Make you want all of her love_

_She's a maneater_

_Make you buy cars_

_Make you cut cards _

_Wish you never ever met her at all_

_No_

_Never ever met her at all_

_What you saying girl?_

_You wish you never ever met her at all_

_What you saying girl?_

_You wish you never ever met her at all_

_What you saying girl?_

_You wish you never ever met her at all_

I laughed as Rose and Alice squealed when the song quickly finished. I laughed as I watched them hug each other, telling each other that they did great.

"I didn't know that my bestie could move like that," Jazz teased me and I blushed as I giggled.

"Yeah. I _do_ know how to dance, you know? I just prefer dancing to other songs," I said with a shrug as I continued to blush.

"What type of dances?" Emmett smiled mischieviously.

"Waltzes in general," I said with a smile as my mind went to faraway times. Back when Renee had loved me before Phil had come along. She'd had us take some dancing classes, thinking that it would help me with my balance.

"Isabella Swan, you are the oddest person I know," Emmett muttered and I laughed when he smiled, showing me that he wasn't trying to be mean.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I get that a lot."

"What song's next?" Rose and Alice asked me excited, making me smile widely.

* * *

**A/N: I loved writing this chapter. Not so much tension here. And we have some sexy and some fun. See you guys next week!**

**Songs mentioned (give them an ear or two, hehe):**

**How - Maroon 5**

**Stutter - Maroon 5**

**Run - Thriving Ivory**

**Pump It - Black Eyed Peas**

**Maneater - Nelly Furtado**

**Cleaning Out My Closet - Eminem**

**Vanity - Lady Gaga**

**Claire de Lune - Debussy**


	20. Chapter 20

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: ****Thank you for reading. Here's the next chapter :) And its a long one! (no dirty joke intended)**

* * *

Chapter 20:

I rushed through the locker room, knowing that I was already late for practice and that Coach was mad. I ran into the bathrooms to change and quickly rushed back out as soon as I could.

"Swan, you're late!" Coach bellowed as I rushed to get in formation with the rest of my team mates. The weeks had passed by as well as the days and I had tried to balance my time between school, music, and football since it seemed that Charlie only wanted to focus on the last one. I kept our conversations to a minimum and did what I thought was best.

I still went to practice and we'd already played in three games. We had only lost one. Our celebrations were cut short when Coach told us not to get cocky.

"Why the hell are you late?!" he demanded when I didn't answer.

"I don't have an excuse." I said, shaking my head.

In reality, I had stayed behind to make up some work for my Pre-Calculus class but I wasn't going to tell him that. Mr. Varner was being nice enough to even let me make it up. I didn't need Coach on his ass about making one of his players late.

Coach glared at me and told me to do twenty laps around the football field. I didn't protest and simply took the punishment, using it to my advantage and humming along as I kept a steady pace.

"Hey," Jake's voice startled me and I realized a little too late that he was running next to me.

"What the fuck...?" I blurted, startled by his presence.

"Swan, you aren't supposed to have any company! Who the hell is-" Coach stopped yelling, disrupting the play when he caught sight of my unwanted guest. "Jacob Black," he said with a taut jaw.

"Hey, Coach! How've you been?" Jacob asked pleasantly, making me do a double take.

"Better," he said shortly. "Swan, are you sharing secrets with the enemy?" he demanded, turning to me.

"What?!" I shouted, caught of guard.

"Yeah, she shares a whole lot with me. Don't you, Bells?" Jacob winked at me, laughing teasingly. And this was totally not a time to be teasing.

"Swan, on the bench!" Coach bellowed, turning red as all of the guys gaped at us.

"But I didn't even-" I began to protest but was cut off by Charlie's angry voice.

"This is why I told you to focus more on football, Bella."

I turned, startled to even see him there. He wasn't there before. And what the _fuck_ was he talking about?

I ignored him and turned to Coach.

"Coach, I haven't even talked to Jacob. He's my dad's best friend's son. What, the last time I talked to him was the day when I went to eat with the guys!" I protested but he shook his head, obviously looking angry.

"You're not trying hard enough, Swan." He told me.

And I snapped. I could feel something in me snap.

I threw my helmet down to the ground and threw off the jersey, walking away and taking off the equipment as I went. And soon, all I was left in was a tank top and a pair of jean shorts.

"Where are you going, Swan? You haven't finished your laps." Coach snapped at me angrily.

"Yeah, well, I don't give a damn." I muttered as I pulled my hair back into a pony tail as everyone gaped at me. "You," I glared at Coach as he scowled at me from across the field, "_you_ don't get to tell me that I haven't been trying hard enough. None of you do! I've been over here juggling school, music, and football. I've been dealing with all of the shit that the guys give me. And I've been dealing with shit that _everyone_ gives me. And if one more fucking person tells me to just stop doing my music and focus on football, I swear I'm going to punch someone!"

"I'm over here, bending backwards to please everybody. But what the hell are you doing?" I demanded from him. "You're yelling at me and belittling me, telling me to try harder. I'm doing all that I can. And its not good enough for you. So, right now, this moment here, I am through. This is me telling you to piss the fuck off. All of you!" I snapped, glaring at Charlie then. "I don't care how angry you get or throw a bitch fit. I am _so_ done."

And with that I jogged away, refusing to cry as I turned my back on all of them.

I rushed to the locker room and grabbed my school books and backpack before heading out and going to my truck.

"Hey," I was startled to hear Jasper's voice.

I turned to look over at him, prepared for a fight or for him to just tell me that I'm messing up. To tell me to go back and stick it through.

"Can I come with you?" he asked me and I bit my lip as tears welled in my eyes. I chuckled and scrubbed at my eyes with my hands, trying to push back my tears. "I'll drive," he said and I nodded, holding out the keys to him.

He hugged me quickly and grabbed the keys from me, getting into the driver's seat and waiting for me to get into the passenger's side of my truck. I didn't know where we were going but I knew that he was driving. My best friend wasn't abandoning me.

He drove us to his house and led me into the kitchen.

"I don't know if you want to take a shower or if you want to eat first," he said sheepishly and I laughed, wiping the irrational tears away. I was startled to see that when I looked back up to him, he was standing closer and holding his arms open to me.

I didn't hesitate and hugged him, just letting it go and crying into his shoulder while he rubbed my back soothingly and repeatedly told me that it would be alright, that it would all get better, and to not worry anymore.

"I-I'm sorry," I gasped as I tried to pull away when I realized that I'd ruined his undershirt.

It was then that I realized that he wasn't wearing his equipment. He was in a pair of basketball shorts and a sweaty undershirt. _He must've undressed on the field just like I had to get to me in time._

I only cried more at the thought.

"Don't be sorry," he shook his head, looking at me with a smile.

"But I ruined your shirt!" I exclaimed through my blubbering.

"I didn't like it anyways," he shrugged, making me laugh again.

"How about you take a shower first and I'll cook food for us?" I asked him. "Its the least I could do. I didn't even thank you, Jazz," I said, looking down with an embarassed sigh.

"You don't need to thank me." He shook his head at me. "We're best friends, right?" he asked me and I nodded, not knowing where he was going with this. "Best friends stick together."

I tried wiped away the tears that began again, but they wouldn't let me. New ones replaced old ones and I felt like a mess.

"Em and Edward wanted to come as well but I got them to just go and get our things. They'll be here in a bit. I just texted them," Jazz told me and I nodded, not even bothering to hide my tears.

I was touched that Emmett and Edward had been ready to come over with Jasper.

"The kitchen's over there," Jazz told me. I laughed and he smiled, telling me to cook whatever I wanted.

And I did. I went to the kitchen, washed my face and then my arms before looking through the refrigerator. I started with cooking some soup and adding Gram Marie's secret recipe to it before I started in on a Peach Cobbler. And then, I was making some homemade lemonade. It wasn't long before I started to make a chocolate cake.

I was so immersed in cooking everything that I didn't notice the presence of my friends at the entrance of the kitchen until I was already pulling out the peach cobbler and setting it on the island. Blood immediately rushed to my face when I realized that Esme and Carlisle were among them and they were all staring at me in shock.

"I'm sorry for making a mess," I said, blurting out the first thing that popped into my head. "I swear I'll clean it up," I said and quickly rushed over to get a dish towel and started cleaning up everything. It wasn't very dirty to begin with but there were some spills and splotches scattered on the kitchen counter from all of my mixing and adding.

"This. Is. So. Awesome!" Emmett boomed.

"Is that... is that peach cobbler?" Carlisle asked with wide eyes as he shyly ventured into the kitchen.

"Is that chocolate cake?" Esme gasped when she looked down at the big cake. I had figured that since Emmett would be here, I might as well go big.

"Um, yeah." I said, laughing nervously. "Jazz said to cook whatever I wanted. I'm afraid that I took advantage of his words," I said, wringing my hands.

"Dibs!" Carlisle's voice startled me and he lunged for the cobbler before anyone could react.

"No fair, dad! You can't call dibs on the cobbler!" Rose and Ali shouted with glares.

"I called dibs," he sang in return. "You'll never get any out of me!" And then he began to laugh maniacally as he reached for the cobber.

I quickly shoved two mitts on his hands before he could burn himself.

"It just got out. Its still a bit hot," I told him and he smiled widely at me.

"Thank you, Bella. I can't remember the last time I had peach cobbler," he said with a dreamy sigh.

"Would you mind giving me your recipe?" Esme asked my shyly.

"But what if Dr. Cullen doesn't even like it?" I asked her.

"Call me Carlisle, Bella." He told me and practically moaned when his took out a bite from the cobbler. "Get the recipe, love." He told Esme, making me blush.

"Please!" Esme pleaded to me.

"We'll give you anything you want!" Carlisle said suddenly, mistaking my surprise for hesitation. "Take Alice. You can keep her!" he said and we heard Alice's outraged, "hey!" off to the side.

I looked between them and couldn't help but laugh as I took in the scene before me. Everyone was claiming dishes as they finished cooking. Edward eventually pulled me into a hug and thanked me, saying quite loudly that he appreciated the food. And then everyone was thanking me suddenly.

Edward smiled down at me and I smiled at him.

"Alright, everyone set down the plates and dishes! No one's getting anything until Bella eats first!" Jasper exclaimed.

Everyone turned to look at me and I blushed.

"And she's said she wants to shower first," Jasper said before they could say anything else.

"I have some clothes that could fit you," Alice said, pulling me out of the kitchen as Jasper and Edward took control of the situation in the kitchen.

She grabbed a towel for me as well as clothes before shoving me inside her bathroom, telling me to take my time but hurry. I chuckled to myself and proceeded to take a shower. I was happy to be able to clean myself. I felt dirty and grimy even though I got about seven minutes of running in. But the cooking was the icing on the cake. Working in a high temperature area was enough to make me sweat more.

By the time that I got out, I felt nice and refreshed. The tears had gone away and my eyes were less swollen. It was barely noticeable that I had been crying.

"Are you done?" Alice asked me anxiously.

"Yeah," I said and stepped out of her bathroom, thanking her for letting me shower.

"Its not problem, Bella." She waved me off. "I heard about what happened at practice." She told me and before I could open my mouth to defend myself or plead my case she startled me by saying, "guys can be so dense sometimes. I'm glad that you had Jazzy there for you. And we're behind you too. So don't worry about a thing. Tomorrow, I'm going straight up to Coach Clapp to give him what he deserves."

"You don't have to do that," I said softly, completely touched by her words nonetheless.

"Of course I do! We're all your friends. And even though I never said it before, I knew that we would be best friends from the start," she said with a giggle. "You can have more than one best friend, ya know?"

I nodded and smiled at her, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks, Ali." I said softly and she hugged me back tightly, nearly squeezing the air out of me.

"Are you guys done in there?" Rose's voice came from behind Alice's bedroom door.

"Yeah, we're about to come out!" Alice called and pulled me towards the door. I was startled to be pulled into a hug by Rose.

"We're here for you no matter what, Bells. Don't worry about anything, alright?" she asked me and I smiled, pushing back the tears as I hugged her back, thanking her quietly.

"Come on. Before Esme dies in the kitchen from fending off the guys!" She exclaimed and we giggled as we rushed down the stairs.

The plates were already served in the large dining room and everything was already set up. Everyone rushed to take their seats before realizing that I was still standing.

"You can sit down, dear." Esme smiled at me warmly.

I smiled back at her, blushing as I walked over to the table and took a seat between Rose and Jasper that was across from Edward.

"Alright, let's thank Bella for this dinner." Esme said and I blushed when everyone crowed their thanks.

I smiled, seeing that the soup had been served first and everyone had cups of lemonade. We ate in comfortable silence, every once in a while someone would say something or tell a story.

"So what is this that I hear about you guys ditching practice and saying that you're never going to play football again?" Carlisle asked suddenly. My eyes popped open wide as I looked at the guys in shock.

_They did _what_?!_

"Coach Clapp was being messed up," Emmett said with a shrug.

"Care to elaborate?" Carlisle asked, raising an eyebrow at his sons.

"It was my fault," I said, not wanting the guy to get in trouble. Carlisle and Esme turned to look at me in surprise.

"No it wasn't," the guys said at once, shaking their heads in disagreement.

"Alright. So what happened?" Esme asked, settling all of us down.

"Well, just like Em said, he was being messed up. He criticized Bella and went too far. We couldn't stand for it so we left. I brought Bella here and the guys came over later," Jasper said with a shrug. "She's been getting crap from everyone and Bella's not going to be a pushover so she said that she's done. So we're done too."

Carlisle and Esme stared at the guys and me in shock.

"We won't stand against Bells. And Coach was just wrong in the first place. So we're not standing by his side," Emmett agreed.

"And besides, it wasn't his place to judge Bella." Edward said with a firm nod.

"I'll have a talk with Coach." Carlisle said finally.

"Wait, no." I said, shaking my head at them. "Look, I appreciate what you guys are doing. But I'm not going to let you throw it all away. You guys love football. I enjoy playing it but I'm not as passionate about it as you guys are."

They began to protest, telling me that it didn't matter to them.

"You shouldn't give up something you love in order to support me," I told them and they frowned to themselves. "You guys are going to practice tomorrow," I told them sternly and they huffed irritably but then smiled a bit and thanked me.

"I'm still going to talk to Coach," Carlisle said and they nodded their agreement. Carlisle shook his head at me when I opened my mouth to protest.

"Bella, please feel welcome to come over here whenever you want." Esme said, smiling at me warmly. "We can share recipies," she said with a wide smile. I blushed and smiled, thanking her and telling her that I might just take her up on her offer.

"You can stay over today," Rosalie offered suddenly.

"Yeah! Let's have a sleepover!" Alice squealed suddenly. "We don't get enough time with you," she pouted at me when I tried to start and tell them that I didn't think I could stay over. I closed my mouth, realizing quickly how true her words were. The last time we really spend time with each other was when we spent that day singing in the park. And that was last week. "So no guys allowed," she continued, turning to glare warningly at her brothers and boyfriend.

"Why don't you kids give Bella a tour of the house?" Esme smiled at us. "I'll call Charlie."

"Great!" Rose said and all but pulled my arm off as she and Alice pulled me out of the room before I could say anything.

"What are we going to do? I don't even have clothes for tomorrow," I said, looking down at the pair of pajamas that Alice had given me to wear. They were a bit too tight since I was bigger than her.

"You can borrow some of my clothes." she said with a shrug.

I eyed her warily.

"Sure," I dragged out and she smiled at me.

"Well, let's settle this now." She told me and pulled me up the stairs with alice to go to her room. I looked at her room. It was a mixture of reds, whites, and blacks. Very bold. And somehow, I could see it just fitting Rose.

"Here! These capri's should fit you." She said and through some short jeans at me. I eyed them and blushed when Alice demanded that I strip and try them on. I pulled off the pajama pants and pulled on the Capri's. They were a tight fit but they were good.

"Good. Now, let's look for a shirt," Rose said and dove back into her closet.

She pulled out three shirts that she thought would fit me. I felt a bid bad because they all seemed to be too short. They eyed me for a while before they shared a glance and nodded to each other.

"Come on." They said, pulling me out of Rose's room.

"What? Where are we going?" I asked, uncomfortable with the looks in their eyes.

"You don't mind really baggy clothes right? I mean as long as it fits and looks good, it'll be alright? Right?" Alice rambled and then looked at me expectantly when I only looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess so." I said with a bit of a shrug. "I mean, I don't mind baggy clothes."

She nodded, looking appeased. It wasn't long before we entered a very clean and organized room that I didn't recognize. I watched warily as Rose and Alice rummaged through some drawers before turning to me with a long sleeved black, white, and blue plaid shit.

"You'll wear this tomorrow," Rose told me and shoved the shirt into my arms.

A shirt that looked oddly too big and more like a guy's than a girl's.

"Who's shirt am I holding in my hands?" I asked them.

"What are you doing in my room, Alice?!" Edward's velvet voice came from behind us, making me jump and shriek in surprise.

"We were looking for a shirt. Thanks," Alice said casually.

"Why are you thanking me?" he asked her as I shoved the shirt behind me, trying to push it into Rose's hand as I faced Edward who was looking between us suspiciously.

"Thank you for volunteering your clothes," Rose said as she shoved the shirt back into my hands and I shoved it back at her.

"What are you girls doing?" Edward asked me and Rose, seeing our silent fight behind my back.

"Nothing," I said, my voice hitching up in a high note and making me sound squeaky.

He frowned at me before turning to Alice and arguing with her while I turned my back to them and threw the shirt back at Rose. It was like we were playing hot potato.

"Its yours." She hissed at me.

"No. Its his." I hissed.

"Yours."

"His."

"Yours."

"His."

"You can borrow my shirt," Edward's voice startled me. I shrieked and turned beet red when I realized that he was standing next to me.

"I didn't want to bug you. I'm sorry," I apologized and he chuckled.

I glared at him. "Its not funny," I hissed, punching his arm.

"You can borrow my shirt, Bella." he repeated and I blushed.

"Thanks," I said and he only nodded, smiling at me.

"Alright. Sleepover time!" Alice declared before pulling me out of the room with Rosalie in tow. "We'll see you in the morning, Eddie!" Rose called and giggled when she heard his frustrated huff.

He really hated being called that.

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**A/N: So, lots going on here. Tell me what you think! Drop your opinion in the box below and I will see you guys next week!**

**- Eli**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO ****"Guest"****! You didn't leave any other name but I'd like to thank you for your review :) I'm not particularly a fan of Jacob's either. That's why I'm Team Edward! Whoo! haha Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 21:

The next day at school was spent with whispers all over the school. It was all over the place that I had quit football yesterday at practice. The guys had left in the morning with Carlisle to talk to Coach.

"What are we doing?" Rose asked me as we walked to lunch. "What are you going to get, Bells?" she asked me, reaching for a salad at the same moment that I reached for a slice of pizza.

"I want a chicken sandwhich," Alice chimed when Rose rolled her eyes at our choices.

"You honestly don't need to eat like that. You have the curves of a Queen and you're pretty without all of that crap," I told Rose honestly.

"Well, I'm used to eating salads by now. So I don't think I could change even if I wanted to," she said with a shrug and I smiled a bit.

"Its about time that you took our advice, Swan. You don't belong on our football team," Lauren's sneering voice came from behind us.

"You're just mad cause you won't be cheering for me anymore," I said with a chuckle.

"Well, you don't fit in here anyways," Jessica piped in. "I don't know why you even got on the team. You're nothing special. When we play tomorrow, we'll win without you. Because our team is just that good."

I rolled my eyes at her and continued to walk, pulling an angry Alice and Rose along.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Alice hissed at me.

"Because I'll be happy if they do win without me. She's right. They never needed me anyways," I said with a shrug.

"You are wrong. So wrong," Rose shook her head at me.

"No, I'm not." I said firmly. "They'll be fine."

"No they won't. They're too stubborn to realize it yet but they need you. Not many of the guys can catch Edward's throws. And there aren't many guys who can even find the opening to get the ball to Jazz or Em. But you do it. And you do it good. Without the help of any of the guys." Alice told me and Rosalie nodded in agreement.

I shook my head at them, not believing her words.

"You'll see. When they lose, they'll be crawling back to you." Alice told me and I looked at her thoughtfully.

"They don't need me," I said firmly. "I'm done with it anyways."

They only nodded, telling me silently that they still supported me.

I went home later that day and cooked dinner before putting it away, knowing that Charlie wouldn't be there. He never was. And by now, I had gotten used to it.

It took a while, but I finished my homework and then walked around the house for a while. It felt odd not being at practice by now. My new schedule was thrown off. And even though I pondered Alice's and Rose's words from lunch, I couldn't bring myself to worry too much.

I knew that the team was good. They were all good players in their own way.

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I decided to catch up on some sleep. With the late practices, cooking, and doing homework I had barely had any time to myself or any real time to get a good night's rest. But now I did.

I slept soundly that night, reassuring myself with the thoughts that we would win tomorrow at the game.

The whole school was full of excitement on Friday, full of cheering and good lucks towards the football players. I don't know how many times people came up to us to wish Em, Jazz, and Edward good luck before looking at me with something close to disgust or anger.

And I'd gotten tired of it.

No one knew me. And no one knew what had really happened. People spread rumors and blamed me. Others called me a coward. And others just said that I just ditched the team. No one told the truth and no one stepped up.

I'd shaken my head at the guys when they tried to set everything straight. But it was no point. No one was listening. Not really, anyways.

"We're going to the game tonight. Are you going to come?" Rose asked me.

"No," I shook my head. "I wanted to finish some Pre-Calc homework. I keep on getting stuck on the proofs," I muttered irritably.

"Mom's a math whiz. You can come over and ask her. You can help us get ready and stay over. I'll tell Charlie that you're sleeping over." Alice beamed at me. Before I could get a word out, she pulled out her phone and typed something on it before turning to me. "Done."

"Wh... Alice!" I shrieked and she giggled maniacally.

"Look at it this way, you get your homework done and then we get to see you after the game," Rose reasoned with me while I huffed.

"Fine." I muttered and they shared smirks. "I've gotta go. Varner's been kicking my ass since I got off the team." I muttered and they smiled sympathetically at me before sending me off.

Classes droned on and I drove home after school, packing an overnight bag before driving over to the Cullen home. It still looked just as beautiful as the first time that I saw it. A three story, white, Victorian house with a whole side of the house made of glass.

Like a wall sized window. It was awesome.

"Good luck boys!" Esme's voice startled me. I looked up to see the guys leaving the house.

"Hey, you're here!" Emmett boomed and picked me up in a hug. I squealed as he spun me around in his arms.

"Em, put me down!" I laughed.

I gasped when he finally set me down on his feet.

"We were afraid we were gonna miss you," Jazz said and hugged me. I smiled and hugged him back.

"I'm glad I got here in time then," I said and laughed when Edward opened his arms to me. I jumped into them and hugged him tightly. "Good luck, guys. Though I honestly don't think you'll need it. You'll do great," I grinned at them as I pulled away from Edward.

"It would even a lot out if you were there," Emmett pouted. I giggled but waved him away.

"No." I laughed. "You won't even notice that I'm gone."

"Sure. Right," Jazz rolled his eyes at me.

"Well, go on. You guys are going to be late." I shooed them off. "I'll see you guys when I get home!"

"You're staying over?" Edward asked me, piercing me with his green eyes. I blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, Alice wants another sleep over. And you know her. You never say no to Alice," I said and they chuckled, knowing very well what I meant.

"We'll see you later then," they grinned at me and all got into Emmett's jeep. They usually took it for the games. It gave them the space they needed for all of their equipment and stuff. I smiled and waved goodbye before going into the house.

"I'm home!" I sang.

"And its good to have you home." Esme cheered and pulled me into her arms, hugging me tightly. I had confessed to her that her house felt more like a home to me. She in turn told me that she saw me as another daughter.

It felt good. Renee wasn't ever really a good mother. But Esme was a stark contrast. She was completely maternal and just _good._ I loved her.

"So, I hear that you're having trouble in Pre-Calc. What are we working on tonight?" she asked me, getting to the point. I smiled at her as she led us to the dining room so that we would have more space for everything.

She sat next to me and we worked through nearly three pages of problems before Alice and Rose descended, telling us that they were heading over to the game before it started.

"Jazzy just texted me and told me that we should get going," Alice smiled at us.

"Alright. Be careful, girls." Esme smiled at them and they waved goodbye before leaving the house. She then turned to me. "Do you want to take a break?" she asked me and I sighed in relief making her chuckle.

"I had some cookies ready but was trying to hide them from Emmett. He knows that he shouldn't eat sweets before a game. But does that stop him?" she chuckled as she shook her head to herself. I laughed along with her and thanked her as she set up a plate of cookies for us.

I served us two cups of milk as she asked me how my week was. Our break lasted longer than we had planned and we laughed to ourselves before agreeing that we had to get back to work.

We got through seven pages before I began to doze off.

"Bella, we're done." Esme whispered to me quietly. I looked at her through tired eyes and thanked her quietly as she helped me pack up everything.

"Why don't you get settled in Alice's room? Everything is ready up there," she told me quietly.

"No. I'll stay down here. I want to be here when they get back," I yawned and she smiled at me before leading me into the living room and telling me to lie down while she went to get started in on the food. I don't know when I fell asleep but it seemed like one of those times that you blinked.

You close your eyes to blink and when you open them, you suddenly realize that you'd fallen asleep. Your body is sluggish and you're barely registering your surroundings.

That was how I woke up. The only thing was that I woke up to loud voices.

I sat up in the couch and looked around, wiping away the sleepiness from my eyes.

"... had to take him to the hospital, mom. It was horrible."

My eyes snapped open when my mind registered the words spoken by Rose's hysterical voice.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I asked, jumping out of the sofa, looking around frantically. "Who got hurt?"

"Em," Rose sobbed. "Oh, god. They just piled on top of him and by the time that the ref got there, he was just lying there. He was just trying to catch the stupid ball."

I gaped at her, not believing what I was hearing.

"Come on. Let's go." Esme said and tugged us out of the house.

I stumbled over my shoes but didn't protest. Esme piled me, Rose, and Alice into a black Mercedes before speeding off. If I hadn't been sure that she and Edward already looked alike, this was another thing they had in common. Edward got his speed demon driving skills from his mom.

We got to the emergency room, noticing that it was crowded by the team's players, Coach Clapp, Charlie, Edward, and Jasper.

"Oh my... is he okay? Have you heard anything?" Esme asked in a rush, looking absolutely hysterical and frazzled.

"Its nothing bad. They just knocked him out. He has a sprained wrist is all," Jazz spoke up, smiling at us reassuringly.

"What do you have on your face?" Edward whispered when I hugged him and Jazz, ignoring the stares from the team, my dad, and Coach Clapp.

"What?" I asked, confused. I reached up and blushed when I realized that I had a post it note that I'd written my homework assignments on stuck to my jaw. "Homework," I muttered and chuckled when he laughed loudly, relieving some obvious tension that he was carrying.

"I should've made him something," I muttered.

"He'll be happy that you're here anyways," Edward shrugged.

"How was it? Did you win like I said you would?" I asked him with a smile. My smile slowly fell when I saw him frown and look away a bit. "It couldn't have been that bad. You'll do better next time," I said, trying to cheer him up.

"43 to 11," he bit out and I sighed.

Obviously that wasn't the right thing to tell him.

"Look, you're going to have some good times and some bad times. All you can do right now is learn. Its all anyone can ever really do. So just look ahead," I said nudging him with my shoulder. He looked down at me with a strange look in his green eyes.

"Look ahead," he repeated. I smiled and nodded at him.

"Esme?" Carlisle's voice startled us. I turned to see him quickly pulling his frantic wife into his arms.

"How is he, Doc?" Coach Clapp asked what we were all thinking.

"He's fine. Honestly, he just wants to leave." Carlisle chuckled a bit. "He'll have to lay off his arm for a while but he'll be fine. Don't worry, love." He said, kissing Esme's head lovingly.

We watched as Emmett strolled out of a room, arguing with a nurse that he didn't need to stay there anymore.

"Belly!" he boomed as soon as he caught sight of me making me blush wildly. He wrapped me in a one armed hug before turning to hug Esme and Rose and then Alice.

"Are you arlight, Em?" Esme asked him anxiously. "Do you want anything? Do you hurt?"

"Yeah," he said suddenly and we all looked at him anxiously.

"Where does it hurt?" Rose asked him.

"My tummy," he said with a huff. "I need food!"

I smiled, knowing that he was really alright after all.

"Alright. Let's go home then," Esme said, looking relieved.

"Yes!" he cheered. "Did you make something?" he asked her and she shook her head at him. "Bells?" he turned to me, looking desparate. "Did you make some awesome cobbler?"

"That cobbler's mine!" Carlisle said, scowling at his son.

"No. I didn't have time," I said, settling their glares before they could get into an argument.

"But, but, but," Em pouted at me, looking devastated. "Don't you love me?"

I stared at him and snorted before I chuckled and then I was laughing. I walked away laughing with him following me, demanding to know why I was laughing at him.

"Loving you is Rose's job. Not mine," I told him and heard Jasper and Edward snicker off to the side.

"But I'm your bestie!" he exclaimed.

"Bella, can I talk to you?" Coach Clapp cleared his throat off to the side, cutting off my retort for Emmett. I turned to see everyone except Carlisle standing outside with us. I guess he had to go back to his rounds.

"We're late for a sleep over," Rose said, shaking her head at him and looping her arm through mine and pulling me away.

"Wait," Fabian said, startling me. "We want you back on the team."

"You _what?_" I asked incredulously.

"Told you so," Alice sang, skipping behind me and smiling at me smugly.

"We need you on the team," Gil said begrudgingly.

"What do you say?" Tommy asked me irritably when I didn't say anything immediately after their admissions.

"I said I'm done," I said, looking at them with a furrowed brow. "Didn't _any_ of your hear me?"

"Can't you just set aside your pride and help us?" Fabian snapped at me.

"It wasn't ever about pride," I said angrily, my voice steadily rising. "My efforts were never good enough. For any of you. I tried and did what I could but you guys just continued to stare down your noses at me. Just like you're doing now! Nothing's changed. And nothing is going to change."

"We just said that we need you. Doesn't that count for anything?" Coach huffed, scowling at me.

"Does it? What do you think?" I demanded. "What if I said _alright, I'll join the team again_? What then? You'd all still be doing the same thing. You'd still yell at me at practice for not blocking right or throwing right. And the rest of you would just criticize and mock me. The only exceptions being Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. They never did any of that stuff to me."

"Bella, you could be on the team again. Why don't you just take it?" Charlie pleaded.

I fell silent, my throat tightening with hurt and anger. I looked at him in disbelief. I couldn't even believe that he'd just asked me that.

"Because," I hissed at him angrily, "because someone once told me to never settle."

He frowned and shook his head to himself.

"I'm sorry that you lost the game. But it wasn't my fault. I stuck through all of your crap." I said, shaking my head at them. "You know what? I'll join the team again when all of you stop being sexist bastards and are actually are willing to accept me for who I am. A girl that can play football good." I said and they all exchanged glances.

"Come on, Bells." Emmett said, picking me up with his good arm and surprising me.

"Put me down, Em!" I laughed.

"Not until you make me food!" he demanded, pushing me into Esme's car while laughing.

I watched as Jasper, Edward, and Emmett piled into his jeep before following Esme as she drove us away.

"You're right, you know?" Esme said as she drove us home.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You shouldn't ever settle."

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**A/N: Some parents can be jerks, while others don't know when to stop but have good intentions. And sometimes people find themselves depending more on their friends than their family. Maybe its one of those age gap things. Well, tell me what you think :) There's the box below, down there! See you guys next time!**

**- Eli**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_10_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, mwahahahaha! **_

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all for reading. Otherwise, I'd like to introduce you to Chapter 22! But before I do, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT TO **yagalinus0420**!**

* * *

Chapter 22:

Over the weekend, I avoided Charlie in an attempt to not get into a confrontation. I had had enough of those to last me for the next few months. I didn't really think this far ahead in my plan of no longer being a push over.

Sticking up for myself was draining me.

And at this point, I just wanted to throw my hands up and just give up.

Luckily Jasper and my friends didn't let me do such a thing. They stuck behind me and told me that I was right and that they would stand by my side.

"Let's eat somewhere else," Rose said, startling me as she tugged on my arm. I looked over at her confused.

"Why? The guys said that they would wait for us," I said.

"No. Rose is right. We should eat somewhere else. There has to be another table, right?" Alice chirped and I looked between them suspiciously.

My eyes drifted over to our table and I realized _why_ they were saying these odd things. Some of the guys from the football team had decided to join Emmett, Jasper, and Edward.

"Oh." It was all I could say. Did they expect something else?

"Come on, there has to be a free table." Alice said and they tugged me away from the table. I caught Edward's gaze and smiled sadly at him. He seemed to realize our dilemma and looked around the cafeteria. He seemed to come to the same conclusion that Rose and Ali came to when we stood tensely in the middle of the cafeteria.

There were no open tables.

"Come on," Edward's voice startled us. "They'll just have to learn to deal with it. It was our table before they joined."

Rose and Ali looked over at me, seeming uncomfortable but wanting me to make the decision.

"I'm not sitting next to them," I muttered and he chuckled. He pulled my tray out of my hands and led us towards the table. They all fell silent except for Em and Jazz who greeted us with large smiles.

"Move over," Edward muttered to Lyle and set my tray between his own and Emmett's. Lyle grumbled under his breath but scooted over, giving us some space.

"How's class?" Emmett asked me quietly.

I smiled a bit because his attempt at whispering was like speaking normally for everyone else. I bit into my apple and shrugged.

"Pre-Calc is still kicking my ass," I said with a shrug.

He laughed boisterously in return and I smiled over at him.

"I thought mom was helping?" Jazz said, making it sound like a question.

"Yeah. She is. But I can't always bug her for help. She has better things to do than go over proofs with me every day," I said, blushing under his intent gaze.

"She said that she'd help you whenever you wanted. Why don't you just ask?" Edward muttered and I elbowed him.

"Because I already ask too much and I don't even do anything for you guys. She won't let me," I muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Em mumbled around his food, getting smacked on the head by Rose in return for not having manners. I snickered and took another bite out of my apple.

"I'm talking about how I'm always invading your privacy," I said and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Fine." He said resolutely and I eyed him warily, knowing that he was up to something with that tone. Emmett never gave up that easily. "We'll go to your house next time."

"How'd you come to that conclusion?" I asked him.

"Well, we've done it before."

"He was a cripple back then," I said, pointing towards Jasper who choked on his orange juice.

"Hey! I wasn't paralyzed!" he shouted in outrage while Edward snickered next to me.

"Alright," I relented with a smile. "But you had less of a chance being shot by Charlie back then."

"We'll tell him that we're doing a study group," Emmett reasoned readily.

"Except that he thinks that study groups or sessions consist of foreplay," I deadpanned, making Edward and a lot of the rest of the guys on the team choke on their food. I smacked Edward's back, laughing. "He's not stupid, Edward. Emmett, it can't be a study session. Ever."

"We'll have a bakeoff!" Emmett said excitedly.

"You don't know how to cook," I shot him down.

"You invited us over for dinner," Rose shrugged.

"Yeah," Jasper nodded.

"And then you guys can dance again," Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively towards Rose.

"No. That was a one-time thing," I hissed making him frown. "I don't need to give you anymore teasing material. _Bella, shake your hips like this_," I mocked and heard the guys cough.

"He was serious?" Tommy asked after overcoming his coughing fit.

"Yeah." I said, furrowing my brow at him.

"Well, why don't _we_ ever see you dance?" Fabian demanded.

Edward shot him a glare that shut him up quickly.

"Because," I said with a shrug, not elaborating.

"Its about time for class," Alice said with a sigh.

"Right," I muttered and grabbed my stuff. Edward grabbed my tray before I could and I rolled my eyes at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Huffing, we walked away together. He threw our food away before walking with me to class, waving goodbye to everyone. I called my goodbyes but didn't really look back.

"So what happened?" Rosalie sighed next to me as we sat on the bleachers. I had stayed behind with Alice and Rose for the guys' football practice since we were planning on having another singing day once again. They insisted that I stay and carpool with them.

So I had driven home with Rose following behind me in Emmett's jeep. She drove me back to school and we'd been here ever since, talking about Mr. Banner and Edward's and my adventure earlier today.

"He gave us detention. Of course, since Edward has practice and all that he got cut slack." I said with a sigh. "Banner knows that Coach Clapp would have a shit fit if his quarterback was held back," I muttered and heard them giggle.

"How long do you have detention then?" Alice asked me curiously.

"Just the end of this week. During lunch," I said with a sigh and they huffed, obviously sad with the news.

"That sucks rocks!" Ali huffed and Rose and I turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that. I'm trying not to curse anymore." She said defensively and blushed when Rose and I snickered.

The sound of sirens off in the distance had us sharing wary looks.

Nothing ever happened in Forks. The fact that the sirens were going off seemed to alert us. It caught the team's attention and they slowed in their movements, probably wondering what was happening.

"Back to practice!" Coach bellowed, glaring at them all. "This is practice not a peep show!"

They scurried across the field, taking their positions and resuming with the play.

"You know what would be funny?" Rose asked me and Ali and I turned to her curiously.

"Hey! Watch out!" one of the guys shouted.

"What if-" Rose began to say but was cut off when something hit my head and my head flew to the side with the impact.

"Bella!" Rose and Ali shouted, looking anxious as I sat up.

"What...?" I mumbled and groaned, rubbing the side of my head. I looked down, wincing in pain and realizing that I had been hit by the football. "Who threw that?!" I shouted, grabbing the ball and turning to see that all of the guys were all standing stock still on the field.

"Bella are you okay?" Rose asked me, concerned.

"I will be as soon as I know who the..." I trailed off when I realized that the sound of the police sirens had gotten closer and tires screeching was no longer distant.

"Where is she?! You can't hide my daughter from me!" the voice had my knees buckling and my breathing picking up.

"You're in violation of your restraining order, Phil!" Charlie's voice boomed.

"Oh, shut up! He would never hurt her," Renee's voice snapped.

I stood, my mind whirling and my head still hurting from the ball being thrown.

"Bella, where are you?!" Phil shouted and I saw their figures along with several other police officers on their heels entering the football field from the side. They all seemed to spot me at once and begin to head into the bleachers section and to where I was with Rose and Ali.

_Oh, shit._ My body snapped into action and I squeezed the football in my hand, tightening my grasp on it and narrowing my eyes at them. I threw the ball before I could rationalize anything that was happening and I saw it smash into Phil's face before I took off running down the bleachers.

"Get back here, you little bitch! You're going to take off those charges!" Renee shouted, running after me furiously.

Jumping over the fence that blocked the fans from getting onto the field, I slipped on the wet grass not having the shoes to get any traction.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I hissed to myself as I pushed past the guys and ran to the other side of the field and away from the memories that were pushing through. I managed to finally get to the other side and close to the locker rooms before I was knocked down.

I crashed into the wall and scrambled up to my feet when I realized that it had been Phil who had tackled me down. His nose was bleeding profusely from the blow of the football and he glared at me furiously.

I shoved him to the side when he lunged for me again.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" I shouted and looked around frantically for the closest thing.

My eyes landed on a metal baseball bat that hadn't been put away properly. I swung it around and he jumped back, hurling curses at me as I tried to defend myself and keep him away from me.

"Put the weapon down!" several of the officers shouted, taking out their guns and pointing them at me.

"Wait, stop!" Charlie shouted at them, insisting that they back down. But they weren't looking at him, their Chief. Their gazes were locked on me.

"Shoot him!" I shouted furiously, my voice hysteric. "Point your guns at him!"

"Bella, stop!" Edward shouted, jumping in the middle of the mess and pulling me back. Emmett and Jasper quickly followed, ignoring the warnings shouted at them by the officers to stay back.

"You'll never get away with this. And when I get my hands on you, Bella..." Phil sneered at me, his voice low. He stepped forward when the guys pulled me back.

"I'll kill you!" I shouted furiously, my eyes blurring with tears. "I'll fucking kill you if you even touch me!"

"Put the weapon down, Isabella!" the officers shouted.

"Bella, we're here. Nothing's going to happen. Give up the bat," Edward's voice whispered to me soothingly. He pulled me back into his arms, his voice at my ear as Emmett tried to pry the bat from me while Jasper kept his gaze trained of Phil so that he wouldn't try anything.

"It's alright. Nothing's going to happen. I swear," Edward whispered lowly in my ear, wrapping an arm around my waist protectively. "Trust me," he said quietly into my ear.

I let the bat go and Emmett quickly took ahold of it, relaxing a bit. Emmett and Jasper nodded towards Edward and I was pulled away.

"Come on," he told me, pulling me away from the frenzy when the officer's attention was then turned to Phil who quickly tried to get past Emmett and Jasper.

I looked up at him, confused but followed along.

"W-where?" I whispered, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Away from here. Let's go," he told me and rushed me away. He led me to his Volvo and made sure that I was strapped in before speeding off, telling me that Alice had already called Carlisle so that he would take care of this.

I pushed my face into my hands, the tears finally spilling over as I broke down in Edward's car as he drove me away from everything and assuring me that everything would be fine. But would it? Would anything ever really be "fine"?

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**A/N: Don't you hate it when your crazy mother embarasses you in the middle of the football practice and has her husband chase you? *sighs* I love Edward, don't you? Well, I love him protective and all but you can't always protect everything. Tell me what you guys think in the box below! I'll see you guys next time :D**

**Also a heads up, I'm putting up a count down before the top A/N so you'll know how many chapters are left. That and so you won't scream at me when I'm like "alright, next is the epilogue. Thanks for reading :)" lol so keep an eye on it haha**

**- Eli**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_9_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, mwahahahaha!**_

**A/N: Before I do anything, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT TO ****rocklesson86****! Thanks for reading :") I won't keep you guys long so here we go! Chapter 23, I can't believe it. Where did the chapters go? haha**

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Chapter 23:

Edward drove us to Port Angeles and we stayed in the car in relative silence. He didn't talk and I tried to wipe away any evidence of my tears.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked me finally.

I sniffed and shrugged.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I just figured that it could help you somehow," he told me sincerely. "Sometimes it really does help to talk to someone."

I looked over at him, wiping away my tears and looking intently into his eyes. He looked at me with no pity and no disgust. He just wanted to help me. Lending an ear was the only way that he knew how to at the moment.

"Jasper told you why I moved here, right?" I asked him and he looked a bit hesitant.

"He talked to me but he was vague about it and said that he couldn't betray your trust. I know that you don't want to be a pushover. And that's understandable. No one wants to be a pushover," he told me.

"Yeah," I whispered before clearing my throat. "Renee, my mom, she never really acted like a mom to me. I'm more like Charlie and she didn't like it. I let her run my life for a long while. And when she remarried, she ignored how Phil showed some interest in me."

I could see his expression darken as he realized what I was saying.

"Did he ever do anything?" he asked me quietly, looking tense.

"He drugged me once and had touched me," I said sadly. "He told me that he didn't do anything to me because he wanted to save me for later."

I couldn't look at him as I spoke. I was too ashamed and guilty. I could've done something._ Anything_ to stop him. And I'd tried. But I'd failed.

"Fucking bastard," he muttered under his breath. But with the defeaning silence in the car, I was able to hear him clearly.

"Renee didn't do anything. And when I went to Charlie about it, he tried to get me out of there. They denied it and Charlie tried to go about this legally. I had to stay in the same house as him for two weeks before I couldn't take it anymore. So I ran away over here and told myself that I wouldn't let it happen again." I finished in one breath.

"Did you do anything?" he asked me quietly.

"Charlie got a restraining order against Phil but couldn't do anything against Renee. They share custody over me and she has a good lawyer to top it off. I fought him off as long as I could and snuck out of the house constantly, not wanting to fall asleep and give him an opportunity," I said dejectedly.

He sighed and reached over, grabbing my hand and startling me.

"You did what you could," he told me quietly. "And you did good. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"But they won't go away," I cried. He pulled me into a hug and I melted into him, tired of holding all of this crap in. "Phil keeps on coming back. And I can't," I shook my head, unable to continue.

"I won't let him ever come near you, alright?" he whispered tensely. "Bella, look at me."

Reluctantly, I looked up and met his gaze. His green eyes were dark and his face was determined.

"You don't have to ever be worried about him again."

He pulled me into his arms, comforting me in silence and I once again broke down in relief at his words. I hadn't felt safe in such a long time. I had always been on alert. I actually always had trouble sleeping. This happened even moreso after Crowley and Newton attacked me. Nothing would settle me down.

But something about Edward did. Being in his arms, breathing in his scent, letting out my fears- it was soothing in a way. I hadn't been able to fully tell Jasper about it. I couldn't bring myself to. But Edward was different.

I just didn't realize at that moment _how_ different he was.

That night, Edward called Carlisle and told him that we would be staying in Port Angeles. Edward seemed to understand that I didn't want to go back to Forks. Not yet. He rented out a room at a hotel for the night and for the first time, I dreamed about Edward that night.

The next morning, Alice came to the hotel room with a bag of clothes for the both of us to change into for school. Edward and I took turns showering before changing and driving back to school with Alice trailing after us.

Emmett pulled me into a one armed hug as soon as he saw me, making sure to be careful with his brace.

"Good morning, Belly." He said, smiling down at me when I laughed through his squeezing.

"Good morning," I squeaked making him boom with laughter. Rosalie scolded him and pulled me out of his arms, quickly wrapping me up in a hug before Jasper got to me.

He hugged me tightly and I smiled up at him, at all of them reassuringly when they looked at me with uncertain expressions.

"I'm fine. Really," I said, smiling up at them.

"Well, they left. Just so you know," Alice said, clearing her throat. And just like that, I felt the rest of my tension disappear. I smiled at her.

"Come on. We have to go to class." I said and Alice smiled, nodding at me before tugging me away. I pulled away at the last moment and hugged Edward while trying to stop my blushing when I realized that I'd caught him off guard.

I sighed in relief and contentment when he wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you." I said simply and he beamed down at me, his beautiful green eyes lighting up.

"Its no problem," he said quietly and I blushed before pulling away slowly, reluctantly. I looped my arm through Alice's, ignoring her mischievious smiles.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on everything. When lunch came around, I was reminded about detention and trudged my way towards Mr. Banner's class room with a tray of food in my hand.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive Ms. Swan." He said as I took a seat. He raised an eyebrow at my food. "Why did you bring food? This is detention."

"I need to eat," I said simply.

He huffed in agitation but said nothing more and told me to sit quietly at my desk. I was startled to see Lyle and Fabian in the room with their own trays of food, looking irritated. Their irritation seemed to disappear once they caught sight of me. And that was when my own irritation rose up.

"No talking," Banner told us sternly as he sat at his desk.

I rolled my eyes and picked at my food, eating it slowly in a weak attempt to savor it and distract myself from the looks of my co-detentioneers. I rolled my eyes at the thought and huffed as I slumped down in my seat.

"All right. You lot are dismissed," Banner told us as the time finally seemed to reach its end. I stood up to throw my food away but was stopped when Banner called after me.

"You have this class next. Where are you going?" he demanded.

"To throw out my food," I said, shaking my half-empty tray a bit at him. He frowned and waved me away. I grabbed my stuff and went to throw my tray away.

"Hey," a velvet voice whispered behind me as I threw away my food. I shrieked and whirled around, startled by the voice. "I'm sorry, Bella. Did I scare you?" Edward asked me, looking concerned as I sighed in relief when I realized that it was him.

"Geez, yes! Don't sneak up on people," I hissed at him and he chuckled.

"Come on, we need to get to class." He grinned at me.

I huffed, pretending to be angry and walked in front of him. "Bella," he laughed, catching up to me before I could get very far away.

I didn't look at him or say anything, blushing only when he grabbed my hand in his. He smiled down at me when I didn't pull away.

"You're not really mad at me," he whispered, pulling me to a stop just outside Banner's room. I rolled my eyes and huffed, still not looking at him. "Hey," he whispered and tilted my face up with one hand, "come on. You're not _really_ mad at me. Right?"

"You shouldn't scare me like that," I muttered, dazzled by his eyes. He smiled down at me and assured me he wouldn't do it again. I laughed when he hugged me tightly, pulling me into his arms. I breathed in his scent and relaxed in his arms.

"Come on," I said with great reluctance, knowing that we would be late if we stayed any longer like this, "we're going to be late."

He nodded and smiled down at me, his crooked smile that made me smile in return. He tugged me into the room seconds before the late bell rang. Banner scowled at us as we took our seats and started on with the lesson, deciding to ignore us.

The lesson dragged on and eventually we were all heading towards our last period. That didn't seem to last long and then I was sitting on the bleachers with Rose and Ali, waiting for the guys to finish.

"That one looks like a cupcake." Alice pointed out.

"No. It looks more like Bella's delicious peach cobbler," Rosalie sighed and I laughed, looked down at them as they made shapes out of the gloomy clouds above us.

"That does _not_ look like my cobbler," I protested, still laughing.

"I'm hungry," they whined together, ignoring me.

I rolled my eyes at their antics and shook my head at them.

"Tell the guys to hurry up, Bella." Rose huffed irritably. I frowned, not wanting to go anywhere near the field at the moment but stopped when Rose looked at me with a scowl.

"Fine," I said, throwing my arms up in the air in exasperation.

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked me curiously as I straightened out my jacket and stood up from the bleachers we were sitting on.

"I don't know. Do you want to come with?" I asked her and she shrugged before standing up to come with me.

We walked out onto the side of the field, towards where Jasper and Edward were huddled talking out strategies. Jasper took off running and the rest of the guys took off after him. I was startled to see Edward throwing the ball in my direction. Looking around to see if I was seeing things and he was throwing it to one of the guys, I saw no one. I caught the ball effortlessly and threw it to Jasper where he scored a touch down before anyone could realize what had just happened.

"I can't believe that just happened," Alice whispered as we began to approach Edward while Jasper and Emmett cheered loudly, the only sound on the field.

"Hey, my hands have instincts. I can't help it." I said defensively.

"No. I can't believe that they just did that," she hissed and kicked Edward's shin when we finally caught up to him. "What's your problem? We can't just show off her skills when everyone else is being a prick to her." She snapped at him.

"I wanted to show Coach that she can make that catch when no one else can," he said with a shrug.

She huffed in irritation.

"We're hungry so hurry up so that we can go home. Bella's cooking," Alice said, glaring up at her brother.

"What? Alice, I didn't-" I began to say but was cut off.

"You're cooking? Yes!" Emmett boomed from the side, startling me.

"No," I began to shake my head at him before he could get his hopes to high. But I stopped my protests when I saw his heart broken expression and pout. Apparently he'd been taking lessons from Alice.

I scowled at him before stomping away, hearing him cheer behind me.

"Are we going home then?" Rose asked me impatiently from the bleachers. I huffed and she grinned, already knowing the answer.

"The guys said they'll be another minute but that they'd be here soon," Alice said, coming up to us with a wide grin.

Rosalie grinned in return and I huffed, telling them to wake me up when it was time to go. Lying down on the uncomfortable benches wasn't an ideal place to sleep. But I was tired. So it didn't take me long to fall asleep.

* * *

**A/N: I think the worst thing my back has laid on is the ground. I remember my first time camping. There was nothing awful about it... I just couldn't sleep on my bed when I got back home. It was suddenly so uncomfortable. Haha Well, please lend me your thoughts and I'll give the first reviewer a shout out :D**

**- Eli**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_8_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, mwahahahaha!**_

**A/N: Enjoy, read, review. Let's all do this, shall we? SHOUT OUT TO ****yagalinus0420****! Hope you like :)**

* * *

Chapter 24:

I was being moved around and that was how I woke up. Wiping the sleepiness out of my eyes, I was startled to see Deputy Tate's face a foot away from mine, looking ahead. Shrieking, I kicked out and jumped out of his arms when I realized that I was no longer on the bench that I fell asleep on.

"Bella, whoa! Calm down," he exclaimed, startled as I made him lose his balance. I stumbled out of his arms and my legs collapsed from under me when they hit the floor. I gasped when Deputy Tate quickly caught me and held me upright.

"Get off of me!" I shrieked, pushing him away and stumbling back when I once again lost my balance.

"Bella, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you," he said, raising his hands to assure me that he meant no harm.

To be honest, I still had a bit of trouble trusting many males. I tried to keep my distance from them as much as I could.

_Stupid Phil._

It didn't help anything if I woke up with someone that I didn't know very well carrying me.

"I was bringing you to the Cullen home. Charlie was going to come over but he wasn't going to come until later. So he asked me to bring you here and keep an eye on you until he got here," he explained to me before I could ask.

I frowned at him but was then surprised when I realized that we were standing in the driveway of the Cullen home.

I slept through him driving me here?

_Oh shit._

My mind was whirling with thoughts and angry shouts as I berated myself and tried to figure out how the hell I had left my guard down.

"So... you and Edward Cullen, huh?" he asked me awkwardly.

"What?" I asked, unable to stop the blush from rising to my cheeks.

"You were saying his name... while you were, uh, sleeping in the cruiser," he told me, blushing a bit himself.

"That's none of your business. And don't you dare tell Charlie." I said, narrowing my eyes angrily as I tried to hide my mortification. _I'd called out for Edward?_

"I won't. But I think that you should. Soon." He told me. "It isn't good to keep secrets from the Chief. Especially if its about a boy."

"What boy? What are you guys talking about?" Rose's voice startled me.

I turned to see all of my friends standing outside, looking between me and Deputy Tate.

"Well, didn't you know? Bella-" Tate began to say without realizing what he was doing. I shrieked, pointing down to the ground and startling them.

"Its a snake! A snake!" I shouted and was quickly pulled back by Edward. I didn't even see him move from the spot among his siblings and friends before he was pushing me behind him and looking around for the threat.

"Where?" Deputy Tate asked me, also looking around.

"It must be gone," I said lamely and they both raised their eyebrows at me. "Guys," I cleared my throat as I turned to look at my friends, "can I talk to Tate for a bit?"

Edward looked between us before turning to look down at me, staring at me intently.

"Please?" I asked him and he frowned a bit before nodding.

I waited until they all went inside before I turned reluctantly to face Deputy Tate.

"Alright, you can't go around saying things like that," I hissed at him and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why not?" he asked me, looking at me expectantly.

"Because its not true. I'm not... we're not..." I shook my head, not able to say the words through my blushing and embarassment.

He seemed to realize what I meant before chuckling. I scowled up at him and he settled down a bit.

"Alright, alright. It was an honest mistake," he defended, still chuckling a bit. "You may not be a couple yet but you will."

"What?" I asked him in confusion.

"That kid wants to be more than your friend, Bella." He grinned down at me.

I frowned up at him, staring up into his dark brown eyes. Deputy Tate was in his mid-twenties, he stood at about six feet, had a lean build, and was a bit pale with light brown hair.

"You don't have to believe me. But you can't blame me. He might as well be your boyfriend with how he was so defensive. The kid didn't want you out of his sight when I told your friends that I was driving you to their home. He knew that I was driving you here but he didn't want to let you go. And then you said his name while you were sleeping. Anyways, I won't say anything but you need to tell Charlie within a week of the day that you two decide to finally become official. Or I will," he warned me and I blushed, biting my lip.

"Deal," I cleared my throat and he chuckled when I extended my hand out to him.

"Deal." He nodded, shaking my hand firmly before ushering me inside.

We walked inside the house quietly and I was immediately pulled into Esme's arms.

"Hey mom." I laughed and she chuckled as she hugged me tightly.

"How was school, sweetie?" she grinned down at me as she released me.

"It was good." I smiled and she smiled before nodding and turning to Tate.

"Good afternoon, Deputy Tate. Charlie called. Why don't you come with me? Bella, the kids are in the piano room," she called to me before leaving with Tate at her side.

I grinned and quickly shoved my backpack into the coat closet before running down the hall. I hadn't been able to contain my excitement the first time that Edward let me play his piano. It was simply beautiful.

There were no words to describe its beauty. I was simply in awe.

To top it all off, he told me that I could use his beautiful instrument whenever I wanted. Not his exact words but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

And so, I was happily surprised to see Jasper beating away on a folder with a pair of drum sticks. I grinned and quickly went to the piano, greeting them.

"What are you going to play?" Edward asked me curiously.

"Well, first I need for Jasper to play a constant beat for me." I said and waved my best friend over. He grinned and handed me the drum sticks so that I could show him what I wanted him to play.

"Like this," I told him and quickly did the beat on the folder. He looked at the drum sticks intently before nodding to me, telling me that he understood. "Add whatever you want."

"Sure." He said, looking at me uncertainly.

I grinned and sat down at the piano bench, grinning over at my friends.

"I realize that I'm always the one who's singing. So I wanted to do this one song for _you_ guys. Feel free to jump in," I grinned at them before quickly playing the first eight notes. Emmett laughed loudly and immediately jumped up, dancing as I repeated the notes.

Alice and Rose laughed as they watched me and Jasper play before Rose quickly took over for him and pushed him towards Emmett so that they could dance. Edward was coerced by his brothers to join and I laughed as I watched them begin to dance, letting Emmett lead as they began to sing Bob Segar's song.

_"Just take those old records off the shelf_

_I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself_

_Today's music ain't got the same soul_

_I like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Don't try to take me to a Disco_

_You'll never even get me out on the floor_

_In ten minutes I'll be late for the door_

_I like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Still like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time Rock and Roll!_

I laughed as I continued to play the piano, watching Emmett take the lead as he sang along with Edward and Jasper. Alice had pulled out a guitar to play along and I laughed as we all let loose.

_"Won't go to hear them play a tango_

_I'd rather hear some blues or funky old soul_

_There's only sure way to get me to go_

_Start playing old time Rock and Roll!_

_Call me a relic, call me what you will_

_Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill_

_Today's music ain't got the same soul_

_I like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Still like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time Rock and Roll!_

I watched as Alice let go on the guitar and grinned to myself. Rosalie grinned over at me as we watched the boys split up and took turns singing the last parts of the song.

_"Still like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Still like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Still like that old time Rock and Roll!_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time Rock and Roll!_

_Still like that old time Rock and Roll!"_

I grinned widely and watched as the guys high fived each other, laughing loudly as they rode their high of being carefree. Alice did a little jig and Jasper quickly caught her around the waist, dipping her low and kissing her. We laughed as they parted, blushing when they realized that it wasn't just us teens anymore.

"Bob Segar, huh?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow at us.

I played the first few notes, teasingly and making them all laugh.

"That was awesome, Bella!" Rose laughed, hugging me tightly.

"No, not me Rose. You guys were awesome," I grinned, hugging her back tightly.

"You don't credit yourself enough," Esme said, shaking her head at me while still beaming at us. "Any more performances?" she asked us and I blushed, laughing when Edward sat next to me on the piano. He grinned down at me.

"Let me," he said and dramatically cleared his throat as he placed his hands over the keys. "Emmett, Jazz. You guys and Bella will be singing. Rose, Ali- help me out here."

My eyes widened as he started playing the piano in a familiar string of notes of a favorite song made by the creative genius that was _Journey_. I laughed as Emmett and Jazz pulled me up to my feet, dragging me over to the center of the room with them.

_"Just a small town girl_

_Livin in a lonely world_

_She took the midnight train_

_Going anywhere_

_Just a city boy_

_Born and raised in south Detroit_

_He took the midnight train_

_Going anywhere_

_A singer in a smokey room_

_The smell of wine and cheap perfume_

_For a smile they can share the night_

_It goes on and on and on_

_And on_

_Strangers, waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching in the night_

_Streetlights, people_

_Living just to find emotion_

_Hiding somewhere in the night!_

Rose and Edward took over while Alice bobbed her head as she strummed along. I laughed as I sang along with Em and Jazz, getting carried away. I laughed as they spun me around before we continued.

_"Working hard to get my fill_

_Everybody wants a thrill_

_Payin anything to roll the dice_

_Just one more time_

_Some will win _

_Some will lose_

_Some were born to sing the blues_

_Oh, the movie never ends_

_It goes on and on and on_

_And on_

_Strangers, waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows searching in the night_

_Streetlights, people_

_Living just to find emotion_

_Hiding somewhere in the night!_

I grinned as I caught Edward's eyes on me and laughed when Jasper twirled me around before passing me over to Emmett. He hugged me to his side and I pulled Jasper to my side as we finished the song.

_"Don't stop believin'_

_Hold onto that feelin_

_Streetlight people_

_Don't stop believin_

_Hold on_

_Streetlight people_

_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold onto that feelin_

_Streetlight people..."_

"That was wonderful!" Esme praised, beaming at us.

I laughed as Emmett picked her up in his arms and twirled her around, his laughter overshadowing hers. Carlisle shook his head in amusement as he watched all of us and grinned at me.

"Thanks for this," Carlisle's voice startled me. I hadn't even noticed him move from his spot.

"For what?" I asked in confusion. He grinned down at me and hugged me to his side.

"You make us all happy, Bella. Thank you." He told me sincerely and I smiled, feeling myself tear up at his words.

"Your kids are all talented," I told him, trying to wave him off.

"Yes. All of you are," he nodded and I quickly wiped away the tears when they fell, knowing very well that he included me in that category. And the fact that Charlie had never really commented on my talents but Carlisle had- it got to me. "Hey, no crying. You're supposed to be happy," he said, hugging me to his side.

I laughed at his attempt to try and cheer me up when all I was was happy. These tears weren't sad.

"Hey," he whispered, trying to get my attention. I turned to look up at him curiously, wondering what he would say next to try and cheer me up. "Can you make some more of that delicious cobbler?"

I laughed loudly, hugging him back when he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I wiped away the rest of my tears and pulled away, nodding to him and smiling as he beamed down at me.

"You're a special kid, Bella. It won't be long before everyone else sees it," he told me and I shook my head at him, still smiling despite my disbelief. "You don't believe it now. But someone will make you see it one day. And I'll be there to tell you 'I told you so.'"

I laughed and pulled away, smiling when Emmett picked me up in a hug and twirled me around playfully.

"Should I come back later?" Charlie's voice startled us and I laughed when Emmett quickly put me down when he realized that he was here.

"Oh, Charles," Esme grinned over at him widely, "you should have come earlier. The kids were wonderful. Darling, weren't they just beautiful? I haven't seen them have so much fun in such a long while."

Carlisle nodded, smiling at Esme beautifully as she smiled widely over at Charlie who was looking at her in confusion.

"Were you crying, Bella?" Charlie asked me, seeming surprised and a bit angry as he looked at me. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Just... me being emotional." I said, waving him away.

"You're not hurt, are you?" he asked me and I was surprised at the concern that he was showing. It had been a while that our last conversation didn't involve football.

"No. I'm fine," I said, smiling tightly. "I was actually just about to help Esme cook."

"Of course," Esme nodded, smiling brightly at my words. "Do you have any new recipes?" she asked me hopefully and I smiled at her.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," I said and she chuckled before tugging me out of the room before I could say anything more.

"I stocked up in hopes of this," Esme told me cheerfully and I smiled at her. She really was like the mother that I never had. And I couldn't be more thankful to have her in my life. She had helped me so much in the last few days that I could even dream of. Esme had gotten in contact with an old friend of hers who worked as an agent in the music industry. And she had helped get everything arranged for me, telling me that all I needed to do was talk to Charlie.

I couldn't be more thankful to have the Cullens as a second family of sorts. The only exception to that thought was the green eyed boy that I dreamed constantly of.

I held him in a special place in my heart whether I cared to admit to it or not. I had already fallen for Edward Cullen.

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**A/N: Umm, so yeah. Review and tell me what you think!**

**Songs mentioned:**

**Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Segar**

**Don't Stop Believing - Journey**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_7_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, mwahahahaha!**_

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO ****jaspersgal1861****! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :) I'd like to tell you right now that this is one of my favorite chapters in the story. I have like three favorite chapters and one already passed but... yeah. So here we go!**

* * *

Chapter 25:

I scribbled down the last of my notes, rushing as I realized that everyone was already packing their things. A little over two and a half weeks had passed since Edward had driven me to Port Angeles and he'd promised to keep me safe. And in those two weeks, I had managed to form a loose friendship with some of the guys on the football team.

It couldn't be helped since they had made an unannounced decision to sit with us at lunch. Edward made sure that I always sat between him and Emmett, always taking precaution with me. It was sweet even though I didn't say anything but smile at him.

We got closer- Edward and I. And there were times when I got the feeling that Edward _did_ like me just like Tate had told me. My thoughts got the better of me and before I knew what was happening, I was squashing those thoughts down. It didn't seem possible for Edward to like me.

He was perfect.

Quarterback of the football team, piano player, caring, sweet, considerate, shy, and he could act like a tough guy as well. It didn't fool me and I think he knew it. There were times, of course, when he would lose his temper. But he wouldn't let it get that far. He was a straight A student and oddly, he was single.

He hadn't ever had a girlfriend. Or so Jazz and Em told me. They had cornered me one day, telling me that they wanted to know what was up between me and Edward. And I had told them nothing. They then assured me that I had nothing to worry about because he hadn't ever had a girlfriend and that they were rooting for me. And then they left, leaving me gaping.

Rose and Ali were no better. Their mischievious glances only made me nervous and their whispers made me paranoid. They were plotting. What? I didn't know. But I wasn't stupid. I knew that it had to do with me and Edward. I just had to figure out what...

"Good job, Miss Swan." Mr. Varner's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked down, startled to see a paper on top of my folder by my notebook. It was the last test that I'd taken. A test that Esme had helped me study for, showing me how to work around problems and remember the formulas for the Pre-Calc test worth half of my grade.

_A+_...

My eyes widened as I flipped through the three page test, looking through it all and skimming over the comments that Mr. Varner had made on the margins.

"Is this a prank?" I asked hesitantly, looking up at him unsurely.

He chuckled and shook his head at me. "I only hand out the grades my students earn. And you have earned that grade, Miss Swan."

_I want to hug him_, I thought as a smile erupted on my face. I restrained my arms and held the paper tightly in my hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Varner. Thanks so much," I said, exhaling to contain myself. I quickly put away my things before carefully putting away the test.

He only smiled and left to go to his desk. I quickly left the class room before rushing over to the cafeteria. I was late to lunch.

"Hey, Bells," Jazz called, seeing me run in and nearly trip over my feet. "You're a bit late. Don't you want to get food?" he asked me, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"No. That's not important," I said waving him away as I shoved my backpack onto the table and pulled my test out of my folder carefully.

"What did you say?" Emmett cried in outrage. "Since when is food not important?!"

"Since I got an A plus on my Pre-Calc test!" I said, shoving my test forward for him to see. He shut his mouth, still in obvious disagreement but wisely choosing not to pursue the matter. He knew how much I'd busted my ass working for this.

"Congratulations!" Alice exclaimed hugging me tightly with Rosalie quickly behind her.

"What's going on?" Edward asked, arriving to the table.

I turned, shoving my test at him and rocking back on the balls of my feet excitedly.

"I got an A plus! That's half of my grade. Up! It went up, Edward!" I said, unable to control my smile.

"Congrats, Bella," he grinned at me, setting his tray of food down and turning to pull me into a hug. "I'm glad your hard work paid off for you."

I laughed and hugged him back tightly, wrapping my arms around his waist.

For the rest of the day I was sure I would remain in high spirits. I was on a high that nothing could take me down. My grades had taken a while to maintain at a point that I liked them. I had managed to keep the grade point average above 3.2 and had kept it there.

"What's got you so happy, Bella?" Lyle asked me and I turned in Edward's arms, showing him the big green A plus on the front of my test.

"I could just..." I trailed off, bouncing excitedly as I finished my sentence in my head. _Kiss someone._ I blushed as I looked up at Edward and he smiled back down at me, completely unaware of what I was thinking.

"Could just what?" Tommy asked me.

"Eat something. I'm hungry," I covered, clearing my throat. They raised their eyebrows at me, knowing that I was lying.

And I didn't blame them. My ability to lie hadn't improved at all.

"I'll come with you," Alice grinned at me before pulling me away from Edward's arms. I smiled at her, trying to hide the disappointed feeling of being away from him.

She smiled up at me. And the look in her eyes told me that she knew what I was already thinking. I scowled at her, not caring if I wasn't hiding my disappointment and she giggled up at me.

"Its not funny," I huffed as we got in line for food.

"It is with the way you're glaring at me," she giggled and I huffed, grabbing a tray and loading it with an apple, orange juice, a slice of pizza, and a small pack of ranch.

Alice bought me my lunch despite my protests and then led me back to the table.

"Its not funny," I scowled at her.

"I know," she said simply and smiled innocently up at me.

"Well, don't do it again." I told her as we arrived at our table. I took my seat between Edward and Emmett and watched as Alice quickly went to Rose's side, whispering something to her. And that was how I was reminded that they were still plotting away.

My mood dimmed a bit as I watched them and my nerves got the best of my as I sipped at my orange juice, having lost my appetite.

"Not hungry?" Jazz asked me and I scowled at him, shrugging without meeting his curious gaze.

"Are you going to finish that?" Fabian asked, eyeing my untouched pizza.

"No. Take it," I said with a shrug. He looked at me in disbelief before grabbing the pizza off of my tray.

"Bella, you should eat." Edward nudged my shoulder.

"I'm not hungry," I said, looking down at my tray.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked me, turning to look at me in concern.

"Fine," I huffed, trying to hide my blush as I stared intently at my apple.

He fell silent, at a loss for words probably.

"At least eat your apple, Bells." Emmett told me and I looked up, narrowing my eyes at him when I saw him smirking over at me. I didn't have to ask him to know that he knew what Alice and Rose were plotting away. I glanced over in Jasper's direction, seeing him smirking into his bottle of water.

"I'm not hungry." I muttered irritably as I stood up, grabbing my backpack and pulling it over my shoulder. With the other hand, I grabbed my tray and headed out of the cafeteria without another word.

Walking to my locker, I shoved my books and things inside, carefully putting my test inside before shutting it.

"What's wrong?"

I jumped, startled at the sound of Edward's voice.

Turning, I saw him leaning against the lockers to the side of mine. Shutting my locker closed and turning to him, I opened my mouth to ward him off but stopped when I turned to look him in the eye. That was my mistake.

Because once I locked gazes with him, I was lost in the beautiful verdant pools. It wasn't long before I found myself staring up at him with no words in my mouth.

"Bella." He said, raising an eyebrow at me and bringing me to the present. "What's wrong?" he repeated, looking down at me intently.

I bit my lip and bowed me head. What could I tell him? That his siblings and our friends were plotting for a way to get us together?

_Yeah. Right._

"I just... I've got a lot on my mind," I shrugged, averting my eyes from his.

"Bella," he scolded me quietly. I looked up, startled to see him closer than he was before. In fact, if I didn't love him like I did, I would probably be irritated or uncomfortable with how close he was to me. _Close_ being defined as him looming over me, grabbing one of my hands in one of his as he looked down at me.

"It's just me. I... honestly, its just me being a bit paranoid." I sighed, leaning my head forward to rest on his chest. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. It was a new close proximity. A proximity that wasn't for _friends._ But I didn't mind it.

"Is it about Rose and Ali's plan to get us together?" he asked me quietly. I stiffened in his arms, not wanting to look up at him.

"Is that what you're upset about? You don't like their plan?" he asked me and I huffed, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face into his chest.

"Bella, tell me. That's all I want to know. Would you like for us to be together?" he asked me and I reluctantly pulled away to look up at him.

I stared at him for a long moment. And as I stared up at him, he stared down at me.

It was only until I nodded my answer that he pulled me closer to him, if that was even possible, and lowered his head. His eyes stayed locked on mine until I nodded my consent. And as our lips touched for the first time, I let my eyes close.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He chuckled as he tangled his fingers in my hair, deepening the kiss. I gasped for air and pulled away, retreating a bit. I blushed as I looked up at him, startled when my eyes immediately locked onto his lips.

"Bella," he whispered and my eyes darted up, immediately meeting up with his, "would you be my girlfriend? The love of my life and my soulmate?"

I bit my lip, smiling up at him.

"That's a bit much to ask, don't you think?" I whispered, eyeing him teasingly.

"I don't think so," he grinned down at me, looking unrepentant.

"And why's that?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow up at him.

"Because I love you." He said simply. I looked up at him, searching for anything that would tell me that he was lying to me. Any shred of insincerity. But there was none. And he let me look at him, showing me that he had nothing to fear or hide.

"I think I can handle it," I said finally.

"Being my girlfriend, the love of my life, and soulmate?" he asked for confirmation. I smiled and nodded. "Why?" he asked me then.

"Because I love you too." I said and smiled up at him when he stared down at me, piercing me with his gaze.

He grinned crookedly at me, leaning down to press his forehead to mine.

"Would it be too much for me to ask of the same thing?" I asked him shyly and he grinned at me, chuckling as he shook his head.

"I would be honored," he murmured and I giggled, smiling as he pressed his lips to mine in a simply, sweet kiss. The sound of the bell ringing had us pulling apart.

"Can I walk you to class, love?" he asked me, bowing like a gentleman. I beamed up at him, blushing at the endearment.

"Of course you can." I said and he chuckled as he grabbed my hand in his, pulling me along and away from the growing crowd of students that filled the halls to get to their classes.

I sighed as I watched Edward throw the ball across the field. Everyone immediately raced towards Tommy, quickly figuring out that he would be the one to catch it. I sat next to Rose and Ali, watching as the guys practiced with Coach yelling expletives from the side.

We hadn't told anyone, Edward telling me that we should surprise them and act normal otherwise. I understood why he wanted to do it. There was hardly a time when anyone could surprise Alice.

And all of their constant plotting had gotten on my nerves.

I watched as Tommy missed the ball and winced as the guys tackled him down, not realizing until the very last moment that he hadn't caught the ball. They all got off of him and I leaned forward, frowning when I saw him still lying on the ground. He sat up before falling back down.

"None of them can really catch his throws," Rose told me something we all knew already. I only nodded.

"Well, the exception being you. You can handle anything that Edward can dish out," Alice said, looking smug. I wasn't sure if we were talking about football anymore.

"Right," I muttered before yawning and lying down on the bench.

The grey clouds covered the sky, hiding the blue scenery and the bright sun. There was hardly a day when we saw the sun. Thankfully, a building had been built around the football field making it seem like a dome to protect it from the weather.

And it worked.

It was no secret that the funding had come from the Cullens. Carlisle argued that he didn't want anyone slipping on the soggy field and getting injuries that could have been prevented. The thing about the dome was that on the top, it was transperent.

"Bella, they're calling you." Rose nudged me. I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes, realizing that I had been dozing off.

I sat up and looked towards the field where the team and Coach were standing together. Lyle and Fabian were helping Tommy stand, not trusting him to stand by himself.

Glancing back Alice and Rose one last time, I stood up and walked over to the field, jumping over the fence that kept the fans off of the field. I huffed when I tripped and looked up, seeing Edward standing off tensely to the side. I smiled, realizing that he was holding himself back from coming over to check if I was alright.

He seemed to relax with my smile, my silent message of reassurance that I was alright settling him down a bit.

"I'm ready to put my pride aside, Swan. We all are." Coach cleared his throat when I finally got to them.

"You're not good at football, Bella. You're great." Fabian told me, looking sincere and startling me a bit.

"So can you help us?" Frank asked me and I glanced over at my friends. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward were standing among the team but were completely silent.

"Can I think about it?" I asked them and they nodded.

"How much time do you want?" Coach asked me and I shrugged.

"Enough time to talk with my friends. They've been supporting me for a long while now." I told him, glancing over at my two best friends and boyfriend. Not that anyone knew that last part besides the two of us.

"You can talk now," Tommy told me and nodded over to Em, Jazz, and Edward. I blushed but nodded, following the guys when Jasper motioned for us to walk off to the side a bit.

"What do you think?" I asked them, trying not to glance over at Edward too much.

"We're behind you, whatever decision you make." Emmett told me with a shrug. I grinned up at him before turning to look over at Edward and Jazz.

"We're not going to tell you what to do, Bella." Jasper told me honestly and I smiled at him. I knew that it might be a bit troublesome for Edward to probably handle me getting back on the team.

From the very beginning, he'd told me that he didn't like to see me get hurt so he promised to protect me.

Em and Jazz seemed to notice that Edward hadn't said anything and turned to look at him questioningly.

"Ed, what's up?" Emmett looked at him curiously.

Edward shook his head, looking off to the side and refusing to meet their eyes. Or mine.

"Can I talk to Edward alone?" I asked Em and Jazz. "I'll be catching his throws most of the time if not all the time." I explained even though I knew that that wasn't the reason that we would be talking.

Em and Jazz nodded, turning to walk away. I smiled at them before bitting my lip and turning to Edward, ignoring the intent stares that were on us from the rest of the team and Coach. Not to mention my two scheming girlfriends on the bleachers.

"This wasn't really expected," I said with a sigh.

He huffed and took off his helmet angrily, dropping his helmet on the field. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, looking away from me in clear agreement.

"I don't think that its the fact that you'd be back on the team that makes me..." he said with a sigh. "Bella, I can't just stand by and watch guys tackle you down or chase after you with the same intent."

"I know," I nodded and tugged on his jersey, trying to get him to look me in the eyes.

"And its not that I don't want you on the team, Bella. I do-" he began, looking down at me with pleading eyes. I simply smiled.

"I know," I repeated again. "I wish I could kiss you right now."

He turned to look down at me, grinning widely before turning to look away with a sigh.

"Then there's that. How are we going to tell Coach?" he asked me pensively. His eyes widened as his thoughts jumped somewhere else. It was so hard trying to keep up with him. It seemed that my boyfriend was bipolar. "Not that I wouldn't want to be with you. God! That's not what I meant at all, Bella. I just don't want this to come in between us. I love football but I love you more."

I blushed and ran my hand through my hair, nodding.

"I love you too." I told him and he relaxed. "And I know what you meant. I didn't think that you meant something else."

He nodded, looking relieved.

"We need to tell Charlie too," I told him and he frowned a bit.

"Do I have to go to your house or something? He won't shoot me, right?" he asked me, looking nervous. I giggled and shook my head at him.

"Hey! Are you guys done flirting or what?" Emmett called over to us and I blushed, glaring at him.

"Shut it, Em!" I shouted and he laughed loudly, happy to have me blushing. I bit my lip and turned over to face Edward once again. "Look, I trust you on and off the field. Can you trust me?"

He looked down at me, staying silent as he contemplated my words and all that this meant for us. I leaned down to grab his helmet from the mud and cleaned it off before handing it back to him.

"I trust you. Its them I don't trust. They're going to try and hurt you," he told me and I sighed.

"Let _me_ worry about them," I told him and he chuckled, shaking his head to himself.

"I trust you," he repeated finally and I beamed up at him.

He nodded to himself before gesturing for us to go back. I smiled and we walked back over to the team.

"So?" one of the defensive linemen, Vince, asked me impatiently.

"When's practice?" I asked, rubbing my hands together to try and get some warmth. I smiled as they all seemed to sag with relief at my light hearted question.

"Thank you, Bella. You won't regret it," Coach assured me, smiling widely.

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**A/N: Right, right. So they're together on and off the field. I feel like I knocked that out of the park. But then that's the wrong sport haha! I'll see you guys next week :D**

**- Eli**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_6_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, bwahaha**_

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO **romanceaholic**! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 26:

Twelve days had passed since I last rejoined the team and I managed to balance school, music, and football easily. Edward and the gang were completely supportive. And just as everyone had expected besides me, we had won the two games that we'd played since I joined.

Edward had told me that he had nearly had a panic attack everytime he saw the guys chasing after me. I was so lucky that I was light of foot on the field. I had been going to practices and had been taking early morning jogs with Jazz.

It was two days ago, actually, that we had surprised Alice and had foiled her plans with Rose when Edward kissed me in the cafeteria. It was completely spontaneous but I didn't stop him. He was a great kisser.

He'd told me that he didn't want to hide it anymore and I had only grinned at him. The entire cafeteria had seemed to stop what they were doing as they stared at us. I blushed when Edward stood up on his chair and announced that I was taken.

The guys on the team couldn't stop staring at us and I hadn't stopped blushing.

Edward was completely at ease, telling me that he was glad that we'd gotten that over with. I finally got to stop blushing when I caught sight of Rose and Ali's faces.

They were gaping at us like fish, not knowing what to make out of this development. My blush disappeared as I burst into a fit of laughter.

It didn't take long for Coach to find out and he had pulled us aside at practice that day, telling us that it was good that we were together but that he didn't want this interfering with the game and our focus.

So it was at this game, the game against the La Push football team, that I was currently crouched down in front of Sam. Edward had been uneasy, telling me to run fast because these "mutts" were trained to run fast too.

I had rolled my eyes at him, telling him not to worry about it.

I couldn't really say it again because he was clearly pissed off. Paul had managed to tackle me down. And even though I had managed to score a touch down, Edward was more worried about me. He'd been one of the first to get to me and even though I had assured him that I was fine, he didn't seem to believe me.

I forced myself to relax as Edward called out the play, having already told me that Quil and Sam were going to come after me.

He threw the ball to Tommy and I ran off as far as I could, catching the ball when Tommy threw it to me. Gill managed to tackle down Quil and all that was left was Sam running after me. I jumped off to the side, dodging him as he tried to tackle me down.

I watched as he quickly got up and continued to run after me, closing in quickly.

"Jazz!" I shouted and threw the ball to him just as the play dictated. It wasn't long after I threw the ball that Sam finally managed to tackle me down. We rolled on the ground before finally stopping. The impact seemed to have taken the breath out of me and I sat up, shoving Sam off of me.

"You should stay down. Girls aren't meant to play, Swan." Sam sneered at me.

I laughed as I stumbled up to my feet.

"Then how come you're losing to us?" I raised an eyebrow at him, pointing over to the scoreboard. He scowled at me, ignoring the bright numbers. 52 to 24. We were ahead by more than half and he knew it. There was hardly anything he could do in the fourth quarter.

"Geez, Bells. That was crazy!" Emmett laughed, running up to us with Edward right at his side. He quickly rushed over to me and grabbed my hand, silently asking me if I was alright. I smiled up at him and he shook his head to himself, as if in disbelief.

"Come on," Edward muttered, pulling me away when Jacob and Embry came over to help Sam up to his feet. He shoved them away, snapping at them that he didn't need help.

"You should remember what I said, Swan!" he shouted after me as Edward continued to pull me back. He stopped at Sam's words, turning to look between us. "You don't belong here."

"There's no shame in being intimidated by her, Uley." Edward chuckled as he pushed me behind him protectively. "You don't have to resort to insults to try and hide your shame."

"Shut up!" Sam shouted, glaring at him furiously.

Emmett laughed, realizing that Edward was right.

"Come on, Edward. Em, let's go." I muttered, tugging at their arms. Edward glared at Sam one last time before nodding to me and tugging me away with Emmett on our heals. "What was that?" I hissed at Edward.

"This is Ed trying to get back at Uley." Emmett told me when my angry boyfriend didn't answer.

"What?" I asked him confused.

"You'll see," Emmett chuckled darkly before sharing a grin with Edward.

"Swan, are you alright? You took a hard fall over there," Coach came up to us.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I smiled at him reassuringly.

"Great play," he told us, smiling proudly at us. "Now let's get out there. Edward, you're up. Swan, why don't you sit this one out?"

I frowned but shrugged, heading off towards the benches. I pulled off my helmet and grabbed a cup of water to drink, watching as Edward talked to his team before talking to Emmett. They all nodded before splitting up, heading off to play.

"Bella! Bella, up here!"

I turned, smiling when I saw Rose and Alice in the stands closest to the field with Esme and Carlisle. Charlie was patrolling, watching the game already.

"Hey," I grinned at them.

"Are you alright? Do you need me to do a check over?" Carlisle asked me and I grinned.

"No. I'm alright. I just had my breath knocked out of me. Nothing to worry about," I smiled, waving their concern away. I was startled to see several of the fans in the stands stand up, looking out towards the field with wide eyes.

I turned, startled to see Coach Clearwater arguing with a ref. But that wasn't what caught my attention. I stared, wide eyed, as Sam was picked up off of the ground by his team mates while Edward stood off to the side looking smug.

_What the fuck?_

"What just happened?" I asked my benchmates.

"Uley got cocky and tried to tackle down Edward. It didn't really work out for him," Harvey chuckled, looking highly entertained.

"Wait. What do you mean?" I asked, wanting to do nothing more than just check up on Edward to see if he was alright.

The ref argued with Coach Clearwater before walking away, leaving him fuming behind him. Emmett laughed, clapping Edward on the back in what seemed congratulations.

"Swan, you're up!" Coach called over to me.

I pulled my hair into a side bun, fixing it before pulling on my helmet and running out onto the field. I shook my head at Edward when he smiled at me innocently.

"You..." I huffed, not even knowing if my anger was justified. It was clear that he had done what he'd done for me.

"I love you," he grinned down at me, hugging me tightly before calling over the rest of the guys to discuss the next play. I walked away, crouching down in my assigned spot. I was startled to see Jacob crouch down in front of me.

"Black, don't even think about hurting Swan." Lyle warned him and I shook my head at the madness of it all.

Black frowned but shook his head to himself. As soon as the ball was thrown, I jumped over Jacob as he moved to tackle me down. And the moment that my feet were back on the ground, I was running.

It wasn't long before I was closing the distance between me and the end zone. And then I was being chased down by Quil and Paul. Gill and Emmett were on their tails, knowing that this goal would be our last. The clock was ticking and this was the last play of the night.

I laughed as I reached the end zone, having lost my tails once Gill and Em got to them. The crowd's cheering was deafening and I laughed. I was startled when Jazz picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder as the team got to us, chanting my name loudly.

It wasn't long before I was passed over to Edward and he hugged me tightly, praising me as everyone cheered around us. We all walked over to Coach where Tommy and Frank quickly poured what was left of the Gatorade over his head. He laughed as he stood drenched before us, telling us that we would be running laps for that on the next practice.

He ushered us away, congratulating us on a great game.

I quickly went into the bathroom to change, deciding to shower later. Edward was waiting for me when I got out, telling the guys to cover up.

"You're just jealous, Cullen! You don't want Swan to leave you for one of us," Fabian chuckled, grinning at him teasingly.

"Pfft! As if she'd leave me for one of you guys," Edward scoffed as I rolled my eyes at their antics. I giggled when Edward picked me up in his arms, leaning down to kiss me. "That was long over due."

I grinned as we pulled away, wrapping my arms around his neck and agreeing making him chuckle.

"Get out of here, you lovebirds!" Emmett whipped his towel at us. I squealed and buried my face into Edward's shoulder, not wanting to see my best friend buck naked.

"Cover up, you ass!" Edward laughed before rushing us out of there.

"Put me down," I sighed and he shook his head.

"No. I don't want you to trip and hurt yourself after avoiding several injuries out on the field." He said with a frown. I giggled.

"Won't you catch me?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled at me before setting me down. I grabbed his hand in mine, walking more closely to him as we walked out of the locker room. Charlie, Esme, and Carlisle were there with Rose and Ali along with other fans.

"Congrats, Bells!" Charlie beamed down at me.

I smiled and pulled away from Edward reluctantly to go and hug him. It wasn't surprising that Charlie seemed a bit more accepting of me and my choices after he found out that I was on the team again. My friends didn't approve of how Charlie had suddenly stopped ignoring me once the news came out but they grinned and beared it. For me. I tried to look on the bright side; Charlie was more lenient. And although it was difficult juggling school, football, and my music all around, I was trying to stay committed. Football wasn't for me but I was good at it. Besides all of that, I couldn't hold a grudge against Charlie. He was my father.

"Are you alright, son?" Carlisle asked as Esme hugged Edward tightly, congratulating him with a beam.

"Yeah. I wasn't the one being tackled down half of the night," he muttered, throwing a pointed look over at me.

"Bella, come here. Let me check you over," Carlisle waved me over and I huffed dramatically before walking over to him. I shot Edward a glare but he simply smiled at me.

"I'm fine," I insisted for the hundredth time that night.

"For our peace of mind, Bella." Carlisle insisted and I smiled before sitting down on a nearby bench, conceding.

"Bells, I need to head back over to the parking lot for security duty. Alice and Esme told me that you'd be sleeping over at their house. I want you to be careful. And stay with the girls." He told me making me blush as he turned to look at Edward with a warning glare.

"Dad!" I shouted, completely embarassed.

He rolled his eyes at me before walking away, wishing us a good night.

"There's a small bruise on your arm but that's expected," Carlisle murmured. "Do you feel any pain otherwise?"

I was aware of Edward's intense stare on me but shrugged at Carlisle.

"I don't really feel anything. Do you think we can get home so that I can shower? I stink," I sighed and he chuckled.

"We'll wait for you kids in the parking lot." Esme smiled at me. I grinned back.

"We'll wait for Em and Jazz to come out," Alice said quickly and we watched as they waved goodbye, telling us not to take long.

I smiled as Edward pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly to him as I began to hum.

"That was so awesome. I'm glad we won again. The school's going to be buzzing about it all next week," Rose grinned fondly at us.

"Well, what do you expect from Bella? I told you that they needed you," Alice smirked at me. "Just like I told you that I'd get you and Edward together."

"You did no such thing!" I exclaimed, frowning at her. "Don't you dare take credit for it, Alice. Edward asked me himself."

"Yes I did," Edward chuckled in agreement.

"You. Why are you laughing?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him and pretending to be mad at him. He immediately stopped laughing and shook his head at me.

"I wasn't," he said quickly.

"Who knew a Cullen could be whipped by a transgender." A deep voice startled us. We looked over to the side, surprised to see Sam, Paul, Quil, Embry, and Jacob standing off to the side looking at us. The last of the group looking around uneasily.

As he should be. We knew that they'd been playing dirty and to stand right outside of our team's locker room was either really brave or just plain stupid.

"Don't you have a bone to chew? Or maybe a few wounds to lick?" I asked him with a roll of my eyes. Edward chuckled, pulling me to his side protectively and a bit possessively.

"Aren't you just a smartass?" Paul narrowed his eyes at me.

"She does tend to talk a lot. But I can assure you that Little B packs a punch." Emmett's deep voice came from behind us. I turned around, seeing Em, Jazz, and some of the other guys standing behind us and glaring at the "mutts" menacingly.

"Riight," Paul chuckled disbelievingly before stepping towards me. He stopped nearly three feet away from me in surprise when I held a can of pepper spray in front of his face.

"Try and touch me and I will not only make you blind but I _will_ castrate you." I said, smiling up at him while ignoring how Edward had his hand around me arm, ready to pull me back if necesarry.

"Lay off, man. I don't want any problems with my dad and Charlie." Jacob's deep voice hissed, interrupting the silence that had taken over us.

Paul's eyes flashed with something and before I could react, I was being hauled back. Edward jumped forward and caught Paul's fist in his hand while punching him with his other one. Everyone jumped into action as this happened and then I was in the middle of a fight.

The sound of shouts and curses surrounded us and then police officers were shoving themselves between us.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Charlie shouted furiously.

I pushed my way through the officers to get to Edward. He was being pulled back by Liam and Tommy, his face a mask of rage as he glared at the mutts. He didn't seem to notice his bruised cheek or bleeding brow but I did.

"That bitch started it!" Paul shouted, pointing at me as I rushed to Edward, grabbing his face in my hands and inspecting him.

"Fucking idiot," Jacob moaned as Charlie burst.

"Did you just call my baby girl an expletive?" Charlie gritted out and silence fell around us. I ignored them and heard more curses fall from Jacob's lips. I dabbed the blood away from Edward's face with the sleeve of my sweater, ignoring everyone.

"Bella what happened?" Charlie's strained voice startled me.

"I didn't do anything. I was going to kick that jerk's ass but Edward pulled me away because he saw that he was going to punch me." I bit out angrily as I tried to wipe away more of the blood on Edward's face. He stared down at me with worried eyes, mirroring my own expression.

"So this was Edward's fault?" Charlie asked angrily.

I whirled around to glare at him.

"No! It wasn't Edward's fault. He was protecting me. It was him!" I shouted, pointing straight at Paul. "And him!" I pointed to Sam as well. They all looked pretty beat up, their faces already swelling and lips bleeding.

"Fucking snitch," Sam muttered and Paul chuckled, calling me Butch under his breath.

Pushing past the officers, I chucked my can of pepper spray at Sam, hitting hit jaw square on. He groaned and clutched at his face in pain. Paul was too distracted with looking at Sam in concern that he didn't see me lunge for him. Raising my leg, I kicked his abdomen and when he hunched over in pain, I smashed my fist on his back making him collapse on the ground from the impact.

"Its okay, _Princess_. You can kiss the ground I stand on whenever you want. Thank you." I spat down at him and heard the guys chuckle behind me.

"Alright, that's quite enough." Tate sighed, rolling his eyes at me. "Why don't you all just clear out? Unless you want to spend the night at the station...?" he trailed off, looking between all of us. Alice and Rose pulled me back and we watched as the mutts cleared out to lick their wounds.

I was tugged off in the direction of the parking lot. And it wasn't until I looked up that I realized _who_ was tugging me away. I didn't say anything to my grim-faced boyfriend as he lead me away. I didn't have to say anything. It was clear he was upset.

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**A/N: I don't think I have to mention why I rated this story Mature. Its the language and all that it brings. So whaddaya think? 26 is one of my favorite numbers because of the combination and other reasons; it has my favorite number (2) and my most despised number (6). I loved this chapter! What about you? See you guys next week!**

**- Eli**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this Chapter, there are **_5_** Chapters left! The end is nearing, bwahaha**_

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO **jaspersgal1861**! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 27:

I groaned as I laid down on the couch, hating that my head was pounding. It was Sunday and I had spent the weekend over at the Cullens'. Charlie had no arguments since he had had to go out of town for a conference. It had been last minute and he didn't want to leave me home alone. After some prodding from Alice and then Esme, well let's just say that the combination of my mom and best friend was a very undefeatable one.

"Come on, Bella. The guys will be back soon," Rose said soothingly.

Carlisle had kept the guys at the hospital after finding out that they'd gotten into a fight. He told Esme, who passed on the message to the rest of us, that they weren't badly hurt but he wanted to keep them at the hospital for another day or two. He said that two days ago.

"Bella, come on. We're heading to Port Angeles." Esme told me, grabbing my hand and tugging me up into a sitting position.

"For what?" Alice asked the question that was on the tip of my tongue.

"We need to make a demo and we can't have that here. Alice, Rose, you too. The three of you get ready. I made an apointment with an old friend in Port Angeles who will direct us to Seattle. The boys will be back by then," Esme said.

"Really?" I asked her, excitement bubbling up. She grinned at me and I grinned in response. I didn't have time to react before Rose and Ali were hauling me up the stairs, throwing words around about dresses and jeans.

It wasn't long before we were heading out in Rose's red M3. We were all dressed for the cold weather yet in style. I had been shoved into a pair of tight fitting jeans, a blue halter top, a beige jacket, and boots to top it off. My hair had been curled to their insistence and that was as far as I let them go. I didn't want to make a first impression on someone while wearing things that I usually didn't.

I didn't understand my best friends and how despite the fact that they were dressed for cold weather, they were wearing high heels.

"What song are you going to do?" Alice asked me eagerly.

"Or better yet, how many does she have to do?" Rose inquired.

"Maybe one or two," Esme said, waving her hand dismissively. "You'll do great, Bella. You have a unique voice. As soon as the demo is sent out, you'll have scouts coming after you and people begging to be your agent. They'll all come to see you."

I blushed at her words, wondering if she was honeslty being honest.

Drumming my fingers on my thighs, I thought back to the few songs that I'd written and practiced myself. I had practiced with a guitar and had managed to get a few songs down. But to choose between them and send it out made me really nervous. These were my thoughts and feelings.

"What are you thinking about, dear?" Esme asked me quietly, looking concerned.

"Well, I'm wondering what song I should sing." I muttered embarassedly.

"Well, you could go with your favorite artists if you want," she smiled at me reassuringly.

I blushed. Writing songs wasn't something that I had actually told anyone. They took time and practice and I usually based them off of my experiences, trying to put feeling into them.

"Actually," I cleared my throat nervously, "I was thinking about singing some other songs of mine."

"Yours?" she looked at me confused.

"Yeah, I have written some. And I was wondering which one..." I trailed off when she stared at me with wide eyes. "Mom, what is it?"

"You never told me that you wrote songs, honey. This is great!" she squealed excitedly and I blushed. "Well, of course you'd want to send in some songs of your own. Take your time, dear."

I smiled at her, nodding and drifting off to my thoughts.

Esme directed Rose through Port Angeles and to a building. Telling us to stay behind, she entered the large studio alone. We waited patiently inside the car until she reappeared. Jumping inside the car, she told Rose to head up to Seattle.

It took us a long while but Esme didn't admonish Rose when she picked up the speed. Under two hours, we arrived in Seattle under Esme's directions. And then we were parking on the street outside a large business building.

"Are you ready?" Esme asked me as we entered the building.

"No," I laughed.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about," she said with a warn smile. I nodded, sincerely thankful for her presence. Alice and Rose murmured their agreements, telling me that I would do good.

Blushing at their praise, we walked behind Esme as she led the way. She talked the the secretary at the front desk for a moment before leading us to the elevators. Everything was neat and pristine. It was like a million dollar company.

_Where had my mom taken us_?

My eyes took in everything and I bit my lip nervously and grabbed my cell phone, wondering if Edward had called me.

"They're still in the hospital." Alice murmured, catching me sneaking glances down at my cell phone. I nodded and sighed, trying to relax and get the butterflies out of my fucking stomach.

I rubbed my palms on my thighs, trying to wipe the sweat off discreetly. I exhaled shakily when the elevator stopped on the twenty eighth floor.

Rose and Ali hooked their arms with mine, tugging me forward and showing me their support silently. I smiled at them gratefully and watched as mom walked inside a room.

"Have you decided on the songs?" Rose asked me.

I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. One's called _Halo_ and the other one is called _Happy_," I said with a smile and before they could ask me anything more, mom called us in.

We walked in and I looked around with wide eyes, seeing all of the buttons on a large board where two men were sitting. Across from them was a window that peered into a sound recording room. There was a microphone and head phones with a stool in that adjacent room.

"You must be Bella Swan," a voice snapped me out of my gawking.

I looked over with a blush, smiling as I saw the two men stand up to observe me.

"Yeah. That's me." I smiled and they smiled in return, looking friendly.

"Well, I'm Richy and this is Tom. We're going to record you. Have you ever done this before?" Richy asked me. He was dressed in an old band t-shirt with dark washed jeans and Vans. His black hair was greasy and combed back. He looked a little messy but I wasn't going to judge.

Tom looked just about the same except that he was wearing a suit without the jacket. He was staring at me from behind a pair of Ray Bans. I tried to get my bearings.

"No. Bella's a bit new to this. But that doesn't mean she can't do this," Esme spoke up and I smiled at her gratefully. She simply smiled in return.

"So what makes you think you can sing?" Tom asked me curiously.

"I've always had a passion for music," I said simply.

"You said you would hear her out, Tommy." Esme scolded him quietly and he blushed a bit, nodding.

"Alright. Go through that door and tell us when you're ready." Tom told me and I nodded.

Alice squealed a bit and Rose simply smiled at me as I walked towards the door that would lead me into the other room. Clearing my throat, I carefully put on the headphones but kept only one on. They were a bit lop sided but I wanted to be able to hear my own voice with my own ears.

I stared at the large microphone that hung in the middle of the room and stepped forward, clearing my throat a bit. Mustering up my courage, I smile and began to sing the first song.

_"Remember those walls I built?_

_Well baby they're tumbling down_

_And they didn't even put up a fight_

_They didn't even make up a sound_

_I found a way to let you in_

_But I never really had a doubt_

_Standing in the light halo_

_I got my angel now_

_Its like I've been awakened_

_Every rule, I had you break it_

_Its the risk that I'm taking_

_I ain't ever gonna shut you out_

_Everywhere I'm looking now,_

_I'm surrounded by your embrace_

_Baby, I can see your halo_

_You know you're my saving grace_

_You're everything I need and more_

_Its written all over your face_

_Baby, I can feel your halo_

_Pray it won't fade away_

_I can feel your halo, halo, halo_

_I can see your halo, halo, halo_

_I can feel your halo, halo, halo_

_I can see your halo, halo, halo_

_Ooh_

_Hit me like a ray of sun..."_

As I continued to sing, I closed my eyes and let myself get carried away in the lyrics and notes in my head. My voice hit all of the notes with perfect precision and all I could think about was the reason behind this song. Being with Edward made me happy.

He had been there from the beginning. He protected me, made me laugh, loved me, hugged me, and looked after me. With him, I felt whole. Like I could breathe for the first time in a very long time. I wasn't worried about anything or anyone. I wasn't worried about Phil. And I wasn't looking over my shoulder as much. At least, not when I was with Edward.

He was like my guardian angel. I smiled as I continued to sing until I finally hit the last note. Smiling widely to myself, I heard it echo beautifully around me. And being in this room singing kind of reminded me of the first time I sang in the park.

I opened my eyes and looked warily over towards the glass, seeing Richy and Tom openly gaping at me.

"What do you think?" I asked nerously.

"What do I think? _What do I think_?" Tom spat as he sat up in his chair. "Esme, why on God's green earth didn't you bring her sooner?!"

Esme chuckled and I blushed as Rose and Ali cheered, giving me wide smiles.

"Bella, you'll be getting a call soon." Alice sang and I looked at her in confusion.

"Wait," I said, shoving the head phones down so that they hung around my neck, "does that mean they're out of the hospital?"

She simply smiled and I looked at her impatiently.

"Sweetie, why don't we finish this?" Esme prompted before I could reach for my cell phone. I frowned a bit but nodded.

"What was that song, by the way? I haven't heard it before," Richy commented, looking confused.

"Bella wrote it," Esme beamed proudly and I blushed.

"It was called Halo," Rose piped up and I smiled, nodding my agreement.

"And this next one is called Happy," I said and they nodded.

"Let it rip," Richy smiled encouragingly and I nodded, positioning the head phones the right way once again.

_"Someone once told me_

_That you have to choose_

_What you win or lose._

_You can't everything._

_And don't you take chances_

_You might feel the pain_

_Don't you love in vain_

_Cause love won't set you free_

_I could stand by the side_

_And watch this life pass me by_

_So unhappy_

_But safe as could be_

_So what if it hurts me?_

_So what if I break down?_

_So what if this world just throws me off the edge?_

_My feet run out of ground._

_I gotta find my place_

_I wanna hear my sound_

_Don't care about all the pain in front of me_

_Cause I'm just trying to be_

_Happy_

_Just wanna be happy_

_Yeah_

_Holding on tightly,_

_Just can't let it go_

_Just trying to play my role_

_Slowly disappear_

_But all these tears,_

_They feel like they're the same_

_Just different faces,_

_Different things_

_Get me outta here_

_Well I can stand by the side_

_And watch this life pass me by,_

_Pass me by_

_So what if it hurts me..."_

I threw myself into the song, reaching the high notes just as I'd wanted and continued on. And as I continued to sing, I could feel myself letting go of all the things that had held me back. All of the pain and misery that Renee and Phil had caused me. I had told myself that I would no longer be a pushover.

And I didn't. I had kept that promise to myself so far, of course, with the help of my new family. They made me happy. They had stuck by my side through it all. And again, as I sang the last word, I could hear my voice echo beautifully. It had been the first time that I had admitted to myself that I had a decent sounding voice.

I honestly just loved to sing.

Opening my eyes, I locked gazes with my mom. And she was, my mom. For all intents and purposes, Esme Cullen was my mother. She had cared for me, loved me, interacted with me, and had helped me like a mother should. She was kind and generous and compassionate. I smiled widely at her and she mirrored my expression before clearing her throat and turning to raise an eyebrow at Tom and Richy.

I tried to listen in on their conversation but I was distracted by the sound of my phone ringing. Pulling it out, I quickly answered it when I realized that it was Edward.

"Hey!" I smiled widely. "Are you alright? Did Carlisle let you guys out of the hospital yet?"

"Hold on, love." He chuckled and I blushed, unable to stop smiling. "Why don't you tell me first why you're in Seattle?"

I bit my lip and exited the room quietly, excusing myself from the company of my mom, best friends, and the two men. I closed the door quietly and stood in the hallway.

"Mom wanted to record me and she thought it would be best that we do it now," I said.

"I know. I heard." He said and I frowned, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"What? How..." I trailed off as he chuckled.

"Alice," he said simply and I turned to look at the window that peered into the room where everyone was at. Alice was smiling mischieviously at me.

"Of course," I chuckled.

"So I'm your angel, huh?" he teased and I blushed hotly.

"How do you know that song was for you?" I challenged.

"Wasn't it? Do you need to tell me something about one of the guys at school? Or is he on the team?" he asked me, his voice shifting.

"No," I shook my head. "It was for you," I admitted and blushed. "You're my inspiration," I muttered, trying to stop blushing. He chuckled and thanked me quietly, telling me that that was a lot of pressure to put on him after already being my soulmate, boyfriend, and the love of my life.

"Well, get used to it," I pretended to huff in agitation and he laughed loudly.

"Thank you, Bella. It was beautiful." He praised me and I smiled widely.

"Stop distracting me. I answered your question now you answer mine," I muttered and he chuckled.

"We just got home a while back, love. We're fine. But Emmett is just... he's..." he trailed off and I giggled.

"He's hungry," I guessed and he chuckled in response.

"You're damn right I am!" Emmett shouted through the receiver, making me jump.

"Emmett, give me back the phone!" Edward shouted and I could hear Jasper chuckling in the background.

"Bella, can you come back in here?" Esme asked, popping her head outside of the room. I nodded and asked for one more minute. She smiled and told me to wrap it up.

"Edward?" I called, hearing the struggle over the phone.

"Bella? Love, are you there?" Edward gasped and I giggled, shaking my head to myself at their antics. I could hear Emmett shouting profanities at him.

"Hey. I gotta go. Mom's calling me in," I muttered and he sighed a bit.

"You're coming home though, right?" he asked me and I smiled nodding before realizing that he couldn't see me.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "We'll be home in a bit. I'll see you soon."

"Alright," he laughed, seeming more happier now. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward." I said, blushing. He chuckled before we hung up, ending the call. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I turned to enter the room. I was startled to lock gazes with a man in a suit down the hall. He had dark hair and was staring at me intently.

Shaking off the sudden tension in my body, I entered the room.

"So we've been talking. We'd like to offer you a contract here at _Seattle Tracks_," Tom cleared his throat.

"And I already told you that Bella won't be deciding so soon. Tommy, Bella's going to make it big. We want that demo spread out." Esme said sternly. He frowned a bit before sighing.

"I've already e-mailed it to other music industries. The rest will be shipped off later today, as planned." He said, looking a bit reluctant. He looked up at me then, "you have a really special voice, Bella. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you," I smiled and he smiled in return.

"We need to get ready for this week's game! Swan, get out here!" Coach bellowed. I threw back some water from the plastic cup and ran out on the field.

It had been nearly two weeks since the fight with the mutts and a little less than that since I'd recorded my first demo. Charlie had been surprised when I'd handed him a copy of my demo disc. It wasn't long before he was telling me that he would support me with whatever company I chose to sign on with.

The Cullens were right there along with him and I hadn't heard the end of the praise from my boyfriend. He hadn't stopped smiling since he'd heard Halo for himself. He'd pleaded for me to play it for him and I had requested the use of his piano after futiley trying to resist his charms. I'd played it for him, singing as I played the piano with him beside me. And he hadn't stopped smiling since.

That was ten days ago.

And ever since then, I had been approached by strange men in suits and reporters. It made me nervous but my best friends never left my side, keeping me close and in sight at all times.

"45 and 23," Edward whispered to me as he passed me.

It was our routine. Just before a play, he would tell me which ones to look out for. It didn't matter whether it was practice or a game. He was always looking out for me.

I nodded and pulled my helmet on, crouching down in my spot and narrowing my eyes at Tommy. He grinned tauntingly at me. The relationship between me and the guys had improved and we were more like a big family than anything, always looking out for each other.

When some of the reporters that had tried to interview me caught wind of my position on the football team, they practically lunged for me. And it drew attention that I didn't want or need, making more and more of them swarm in.

Nowadays, I had at least four to ten reporters trailing after me in an attempt to try and get a comment or picture from me. And it was all because all of these music companies were sending down people to try and convince me to sign with them.

Columbia Records, Island Records, Atlantic Records, Jive Records, Streamline Records, and Patriot Records among others were all there.

Running past Lyle and Liam, I looked off towards Edward. Seeing him quickly positioning himself to throw, I quickly took off. I managed to jump over Tommy as I caught the ball before throwing it to Emmett. He threw it back to Edward who quickly ended the play with a touch down. I sighed in relief and laughed when Jasper picked me up in his arms, twirling me around.

"Jazz, stop it! My helmet's gonna come off!" I laughed as the guys cheered. It had taken us nearly an hour and thirty minutes to finally get that play down. I laughed when Edward and the guys rushed over to join us.

"Alright, guys! Let's get back in there," Coach shouted and I adjusted my helmet as we all quickly fell back into place. "If you can do it once, you can do it again," Coach said, his tone turning challenging.

"47 and 45," Edward cleared his throat and I nodded a bit.

Crouching down, I prepared myself for the signal. There were reporters and some of the scouts from the music companies out in the bleachers with Rose and Ali watching me play. It had been nerve racking the first days of practice with them there but eventually the guys distracted me. They made sure I was too focused on the plays enough that I didn't have to feel self conscious about all of the eyes on me.

Dodging Tommy and Liam this time, I threw the ball at Edward before being tackled down by Lyle. I cursed loudly and heard Lyle laugh as he got up before helping me up to my feet. I brushed off the dirt from my arms and hands before I was being jerked to the side.

"Hey, are you alright?" Edward asked me, looking down at me with nothing but worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine. Did we make it?" I asked and he shook his head, sighing as he chuckled.

Emmett laughed loudly from next to me, making me jump. "Yeah, Bells. We made it."

I smiled and hugged Edward tightly before letting go. He smiled down at me, looking less worried and more happy.

"You took a pretty hard hit there, Bella. Are you sure you're alright?" Jazz asked, frowning at me.

"I'm fine," I waved them off.

"Run the laps!" Coach called, signaling the end of the practice.

Emmett whooped loudly and threw me over his shoulder. I laughed and pounded on his back, demanding that he let me down.

"I need to run my laps, Emmett! I'm not going to get in trouble again," I warned him and he chuckled before setting me down. I quickly righted my equilibrium and uniform before taking off. The guys were racing each other and some were just too tired to run so they were jogging.

"Hey." I turned to see Edward slowing down to my pace and running alongside me. I smiled at him and he tilted his head at me. "Are you sure you're fine?" he asked me.

"Yes." I nodded and he stared at me for a long moment before nodding, seeing nothing but sincerity in me.

"Good," he said and I giggled.

"Yes, now go and finish your laps so we can head back home." I said, pushing on his shoulder a bit. He grinned my favorite crooked grin before taking off. Edward was one of the fastest runners and he enjoyed doing it, he had told me once. He told me that running was liberating to him.

"Miss Swan, how do you feel about that tackle?" a reporter said and I did a double take, realizing that the man was running next to me to try and keep up with me.

"I'm not holding it against Lyle, if that's what you're thinking. This team is like my family. We're close. A little contact like that on the field is necesarry." I muttered.

"How do you feel about being the only female on the football team?" he asked me, gasping for air by now.

I sighed, stopping when I realized that I just finished my laps. The reporter gasped for air and stumbled a bit as he smiled in relief when he realized that the running was over.

"I love having this opportunity. I'm glad that I can play," I said with a shrug before excusing myself. I saw Coach frowning at the reporters but he said nothing otherwise.

"Good practice, Swan." Coach nodded to me and I blushed before nodding. Pulling my helmet off, I jogged the rest of the way towards the locker room.

Going through my routine, I grabbed my clothes before retreating into the bathroom of the locker room. I changed quickly and exited, smiling when I saw Edward stumbling through his clothes.

"Give me a moment, love." He muttered as he cursed at his shirt.

I smiled and helped him put away his uniform in his lockers before handing him his clothes. He thanked me and quickly pecked my lips. I whined, telling him that I was sweating. He always did this and I always whined about it with the same protests. I always felt disgusting after practice. Covered in sweat, dirt, and sometimes even a bit of blood was not sexy at all.

"I don't care," he said simply and I rolled my eyes.

"Bye guys!" I waved goodbye to the team as Edward grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the locker room before any of the guys could strip down completely. I laughed as they chorused their goodbyes and Edward pulled me out.

"Where do you wanna go?" Edward asked me as we walked over to the parking lot and to his Volvo.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry," Emmett said, startling us. I giggled, burying my face in Edward's chest as he glared at his brother.

"Emmett," Edward hissed angrily.

"What? I am," Em pouted in response.

"Where's Rose and Ali?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"We need to get going," Edward said and Emmett shrugged in response, looking between us with a wide grin.

"Are you guys ready for this week's game? The scouts will all be there," he said and I smiled when I caught sight of Jazz, Ali, and Rose walking towards us.

"I'm looking forward to it," I nodded and Emmett chuckled.

"The both of you guys will lead us to victory. No doubt about it," Jazz chuckled and I grinned at them, shaking my head at him.

"We work good as a team but you guys were always good without me," I said and Alice rolled her eyes, obviously in disagreement.

"But we're better with you. I'm so glad you tripped over Jazz," Emmett grinned widely at me.

"So am I," Edward murmured, kissing my lips quickly.

"Edward," I protested, pushing him away while laughing. "I told you that I'm sweating. Its disgusting."

He smirked down at me and pulled me back into his arms as our friends laughed.

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**A/N: FYI, Patriot Records is Ryan Tedder's. And I'm a huge fan of Ryan Tedder's. Why? Because he's the singer for one of my unwaveringly favorite bands: OneRepublic. I have so many songs from them that I love. I just had to go with it :D Drop your opinion in the box below and I will see you next time!**

**Songs mentioned:**

** Halo - Beyonce**

** Happy - Leona Lewis**

**- Eli**


	28. Chapter 28

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

_**Including this chapter, there are now **_4_** Chapters left! I hope you enjoy :) hahaha**_

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO ****TwilightFreak19****! Thank you for reading. Here's the next chapter :) And its a long one! (get your minds out of the gutter! haha)**

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Chapter 28:

"Thank you, Bella." Carlisle smiled at me as I passed down the pie for everyone to share. Esme had left to Seattle for the day, trying to arrange a contract for me with the company that I wanted to go on.

I'd been anxious all day even though everyone assured me that everything was going to be fine, it didn't stop me from wringing my fingers. So, in an attempt to soothe my nerves, I cooked. I figured that Esme was going to be away for most of the day anyways so it worked out for everyone.

Carlisle had been bouncing off of the walls once he realized that I was cooking. He called Charlie over, demanding that he join us for dinner. And so Carlisle had been preoccupied until I called out to everyone, announcing that dinner was ready.

Alice and Edward had helped set the table up while I set out everything. Rose had made sure to keep Emmett away until I gave her the go ahead. He was just as bad as Carlisle.

I'd made apple pie, cherry pie, and the peach cobbler so no one would be fighting. That was for desert, though. I had cooked up steaks, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.

And that was where we were now, passing around the pie. We'd been eating in relative silence, sharing some fun stories in between bites but also waiting for Esme to come home.

"Hello? Family, where are you?" Esme's sweet voice had me shooting up and out of my chair. Charlie chuckled and put his hand on my shoulder, telling me to calm down as Carlisle called her over.

Jasper set her up a plate of food as she thanked me for cooking.

"Hi mom," I beamed at her, bouncing my leg anxiously under the table. "How'd it go? What happened? What did they say?"

"Well, Patriot Records was really happy to see you interested," Esme said and hummed as she took a bit out of her steak. "This is great, Bella."

"Mom, please." I pled, begging her to stop torturing me. She smiled at me, but it wasn't as wide as I thought it would be. There was some worry in her eyes and I didn't understand why.

"They're holding auditions and would like for you to participate in them," she said and huffed, muttering something unintelligable under her breath.

"That's fine," I said quickly. "I mean, that's good right? I haven't really sang in front of a crowd or judges but it'll be fine. Right?"

Everyone was looking between me and Esme in silence, waiting for her to continue. There was obviously more to this than she wanted to say.

"You'll do great, Bella. If you still want to go," she assured me.

"Of course I want to go," I said, smiling at her. "When is it? Where is it?"

She hesitated and looked at me closely before answering.

"Its in a small theatre in Port Angeles. It'll be between eight thirty and nine at night. There is no definite time but the date is set. Its on Friday," she told me and I nodded, already agreeing but stopped as I registered the last part of the information that she'd given me.

My smile froze and the table fell into a tense silence as everyone looked between me and mom in shock.

"Friday?" I asked her, hoping that I'd heard wrong.

Not this Friday. It was the big game. The _last_ fucking game. I needed to be there. I couldn't leave the guys out to dry. I'd made a commitment to the team. They'd done so much for me already. And we'd become closer with every passing week. We hadn't lost again since I'd rejoined. And I didn't want them to lose again. This was our season.

"This Friday?" Emmett asked but was stopped when Carlisle raised his hand, keeping him and anyone else from speaking.

My hand gripped my fork tightly as I mentally debated what to do. This was so fucked up.

"Bella, I know this is a hard decision and you don't have to decide right at this moment. I mean, I'm sure it'll work out sweetie." Esme told me and I could feel my heart break as my face went blank.

"Bella?" Edward murmured quietly, grabbing my fisted hand in his. "Love, it'll be fine."

I plastered a smile on my face and nodded, knowing that I had to think about this. But there wasn't much to think about. There was no choice. Not this time.

"Swan, what was that?!" Coach bellowed for what seemed the fourth time.

It was Wednesday and I had been trying to focus as much as I could on practice but my fingers fumbled. My coordination was off. My legs were sluggish and I wasn't quick enough to keep the football in my hands. I still managed to catch Edward's throws but I couldn't keep the ball in my hands.

And it was horrible.

"Why are you fumbling my football?!" Coach shouted, stomping over to me.

I didn't tense and simply stared back at him.

Edward had tried to talk to me but I had been avoiding him as much as I could. That didn't stop him from trying. Em, Jazz, Ali, and Rose didn't speak about Friday and didn't tell anyone about the fight going on in my head. They didn't say anything when I plastered fake smiles on my face and refused to talk much when they or any of the guys of the team tried to talk to me.

It was obvious that something was wrong. And I wasn't so good at hiding it. Unfortunately, my internal fight seemed to affect the guys since they worried over me. But Coach wasn't stupid. I was always the first to mess up. If I didn't catch the ball or manage to make a pass then he was immediately shouting at me.

Just like he was now.

"Laps. Now!" he bellowed and I huffed, throwing the ball to a silent Em before jogging over to start my laps. He didn't say how many and I didn't want to ask. It would only piss him off more. And I was getting tired of being shouted at.

I'd made my choice.

I was going to play on Friday. And I needed to get my head in the game.

"What's wrong with Swan?" Tommy asked Jasper, trying again for the twentieth time since Monday to try and get answers out of my best friends. I'd been messing up since school started; Esme having told us the news Sunday night.

"Nothing, man. She'll be fine." Jazz muttered, covering for me as they all had been since the weekend had started.

They continued practice without me and when they fumbled the football without me there, Coach shouted for the rest of them to get out and do laps with me. I ran silently and didn't say anything when Edward sidled up next to me, running with me in silence.

"You don't have to be here, Bella. The audition is more important," he said finally and I stopped running abruptly. He stopped and looked down at me, his face softening when he saw my eyes well with tears.

"I'm going to play on Friday, Edward." I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest stubbornly.

"Don't do this for anyone but yourself, Bella. Don't do something that you don't want," he protested and I shook my head at him.

Pulling my helmet off of my head, I glared down at the ground as I pushed back the tears.

"It isn't..." I bit my lip when my voice cracked. Hardening my resolve, I looked up at him and stared directly into his beautiful green eyes. "Its not like that, Edward. I'm not doing something that I don't want to do. The guys are like family to me. Jazz and Em and you... you're what matters to me."

He opened his mouth to say something but we were cut off by Coach's loud bellow.

"Why aren't you running your laps Swan, Cullen?" he demanded angrily, making us turn to look at him. He scowled at us, looking between the both of us. "Swan, my office after practice."

I nodded and he frowned at us.

"Stop pushing us away, Bella. We're here to support you not dictate your decisions or life," Edward told me quietly before walking past me. "Stop pushing me away."

"Hit the lockers. Practice is over!" Coach bellowed and I watched as the guys glanced over at me before heading over to the locker room.

And now I felt like shit.

Clenching my hands into tight fists, I barely heard Coach telling me to meet me in his office after I changed out of my equipment. I took a deep breath before letting it out, wiping away my tears before they fell before making my way to the locker room.

I changed quickly and shoved my things away into my locker and walking away quickly. I didn't want to face any of the guys anymore. I didn't want to be questioned and I didn't want to be stared at.

"What's wrong, Swan?" Coach asked me as I quietly entered his office and let the door close behind me.

"There's been some things coming up. And I haven't really been focusing. I'm sorry Coach. It won't happen again," I said with a firm nod.

"You're a shit liar, Bella." He sighed and I chuckled a bit, knowing this to be a fact. "Something's obviously bothering you. You can talk to me. Maybe I can help or offer some advice."

I bit my lip nervously, knowing that it'd be best to tell him but not knowing if I should. My lack of attention on the field was affecting the team. He had a right to know.

"I have this big audition to finalize a contract with one of the music labels," I said and he raised an eyebrow, staying silent thankfully and letting me continue. "Its late at night and I won't be able to make it."

"Why's that?" he asked me quietly, looking surprised. "I thought that you wanted to sing. You said you loved music."

"I do," I nodded. "But I won't be going."

He stared at me, waiting for me to continue. I looked back up at him, my back straightening as my hands clenched on my lap before relaxing. Resigning to my decision.

"Its on Friday," I said. "And I made a commitment to this team."

He stared at me with shock as I continued to talk.

"I look at this team like a huge family. My best friends are here. And everyone here is like a big brother to me. And I have my boyfriend here." I said and let out a huge breath before smiling at him, my first genuine smile since the week started. "I wasn't focusing Coach and I'm sorry about that. It won't happen again. I'll be ready for Friday."

He nodded, looking at a loss for words and I took that as my cue to go.

"I'll see you tomorrow at practice, Coach." I called before opening the door and leaving.

I was startled when I opened the door, staring wide eyed at all of the guys who were standing outside of the office obviously eavesdropping.

"Hey," I chuckled lightly. "Are you guys usually peeking in on Coach after practices?"

My teasing tone was met with a tense silence.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lyle frowned at me, looking disappointed.

"Bella, you can't do this." Fabian shook his head at me. "It isn't right."

"What? Playing on Friday?" I asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, playing on Friday!" Tommy said, looking at me with irritation.

"Guys, really. Its not that big of a deal. And its my decision," I said before they could say anything else. "Are you guys going to always be like this when I try to make decisions?" I asked, shaking my head at them.

"No. Its your decision." Edward spoke up before any of them could say anything else.

"Edward, man!" Frank shouted, looking furious. "What the fuck?!"

"Bella's a big girl. She can make her own decisions. And if this is what she _really_ wants then we should support her," Edward said with a shrug and my jaw clenched to swallow back the feeling of guilt. To try and swallow back my tears.

"Of course this is what I want," I said with a firm nod. It was. And it wasn't. And that wasn't a lie.

_God, this was such bullshit._ I wanted to spit out what I really wanted but I couldn't because in truth, I wanted both things but couldn't have both of them. It just couldn't happen. And it was all giving me a headache. But I couldn't do anything. Shit.

They stared at me for a moment before falling silent.

"Guys, really." I insisted. "I didn't want this worrying you. We have a big game on Friday and I wanted to stay focused. We'll beat them. There isn't a doubt about it. But you guys need to stop worrying."

"Are you just saying that or are you serious?" Em asked me quietly, making me grin in response.

"I'm serious," I said. And I was.

They stared at me for a moment and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet for a moment before they nodded and murmured their goodbyes, telling me that they'd see me tomorrow.

"So are we through with the silent treatment?" Jazz asked me and I frowned a bit.

"I'm sorry about that," I said quietly. "I didn't mean it, really. I was just going through the pros and cons of everything."

No I wasn't. There wasn't a choice to be made. I wouldn't let down the guys.

That was all there was to it for me.

"Alright." Emmett nodded slowly. "Are you ready to go home? Mom's cooking, I think."

"I'm actually a bit tired. And this sweat is getting to me," I said, smiling apologetically. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

They nodded and took turns hugging me tightly before we walked over to the parking lot where Rose and Ali were already waiting for us. I waved to them and called out my goodbye's before driving home. Charlie was at work so I was alone until late at night. Probably eleven.

Which would be when Charlie would be returning from his shift at the station.

I took a shower and washed the sweat and grime off of my body. I let a few tears fall but held the rest back. It wasn't good for me to cry over this. I needed to stick by this. And I would.

Nodding to myself, I lied to myself a little bit more.

_I'm okay with this. The audition isn't important. I'll have another chance._

I toweled myself off and quickly changed into the set of sweats that I'd brought into the bathroom to change into. I was running the comb through my wet hair when I walked back into my bedroom. I was startled to see Edward standing in my room, his hair wet and his jaw set.

I glanced behind him and realized with surprise that he'd come in through the window.

"Edward, if you wanted to come over then all you had to do was call. I would've let you in through the front door," I said in exasperation as I set my brush down on my night table before stepping towards him.

His face didn't change and I realized that something was wrong when he stepped towards me. I looked at him warily and stepped back. For every step that he took forward, I took one back. And suddenly, my back was pressed against my closed door and his arms were on either side of me, locking me in place.

"Do you think I don't know when my girlfriend is lying or is this a new quirk of our relationship that I didn't get the memo about?" he asked me quietly, his voice tense.

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**A/N: Dun Dun Dun DUN! Ruh-Roh. Someone is pissed...! So you know the drill: read, review, shout out, whoo! See you guys next time!**

**- Eli**


	29. Chapter 29

**Discalimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: SHOUT OUT TO **yagalinus0420**! Thank you for reading and your entertaining review :D Um, so I should probably tell you all now that there's only three chapters left. And that includes this chapter and the Epilogue. All in all, there's 31 chapters in this story... and maybe a few outtakes which all depends on you guys. Here's the next chapter, not as long as I wanted it to be but bear with me. I'm sure you'll enjoy it anyhow :)**

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Chapter 29:

I stared up at Edward with wide eyes, my breathing picking up as I realized that he knew. _Of course he knew._ Edward knew me. He seemed to know me better than myself.

It was stupid of me to think that I could lie to him. I couldn't lie to begin with.

"I... Edward, I... please, let me..." I spluttered but was silenced when his lips came down on mine, pressing down forcefully. I moaned and felt myself slowly break under his touch as his arms wrapped around me.

And then the tears spilled over. The tears that I'd held back were bubbling forth. And I felt so _stupid_. Because I shouldn't have hid this from Edward. And he told me with his actions.

His arms held me up as he finally pulled away and hugged me to his chest.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered and buried my face into his chest as I cried and hugged myself to him. "I didn't want to lie, Edward. But it was easier to lie."

He stayed silent as I apologized over and over again until he picked me up in his arms and pulled me over to my Queen bed, laying us down yet never letting me go. And I didn't think that I could let him go. I was like a koala bear. He was my tree.

He was stuck with me and he wasn't pushing me away.

He was comforting me. And I didn't understand _why_ because he had every right to be pissed at me. He had every right to shout at me, break up with me, or even-

My breathing picked up with the last thought and I shot up, looking down at him frantically.

"What? Bella, what's-"

"You're not going to break up with me, right? I mean, I lied. But I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Edward. I'm so sorry," I cried and tried to brush my tears away so that I could look at him clearly.

"No, Bella." He said and sighed as he took me into his arms, hugging me tightly to him. I buried my face into his shoulder as he hugged me tightly. "God, Bella. Why would I? I love you. I can't live without you. But just because we have a few problems doesn't mean that I'm going to break up with you, Bella."

I sobbed in relief at his words and apologized quietly.

"Now we need to talk about this because you seem to put a show around everyone else," he told me quietly. "Don't ever do it with me."

I shook my head, knowing that I wouldn't ever do it again. I wouldn't do anything that would potentially take him away from me or make him hate me.

"I won't ever lie to you, love." He said, tilting my face up so that we were looking at each other directly in the eyes. "So please don't lie to me."

"I won't," I croaked and he smiled a bit before kissing my lips quickly.

"Do you want to go to this audition?" he asked me quietly. "The label was all you could talk about once you made up your mind, love."

I sighed and nodded, laying on my side so that I was facing him. He laid on his side, looking at me. I smiled a bit and wiped away my tears when he gently rubbed my arm, comforting me silently.

"I don't want to disappoint you guys, Edward. I know how big this game is for everyone," I said with a quiet sigh. "I wanna play and be there with you guys," I said, my voice firm. That wasn't a lie.

"We'll figure something out love," he told me quietly. "You'll play but you won't miss that audition. I promise."

His green eyes bore into mine and I smiled half-heartedly, wiping the rest of my tears away.

"You're going to get scouted," I whispered. He closed his eyes and shook his head at me. "Edward, you are. You're a great QB and anyone would be lucky to have you."

"I don't want to talk about this, Bella. This isn't," he sighed loudly, turning to look up at the ceiling of my bedroom.

"We haven't talked about it Edward." I whispered quietly. I leaned up and kissed his chin before moving up and pressing my lips to his. He responded quickly and pulled me closer, kissing me passionately.

"I don't want to think about us going different ways." He said, shaking his head. "I don't want..." he trailed off and stared at me.

I smiled sadly, already knowing what he wanted to say. I didn't want it either. I wished that Edward could come with me when I signed on with a label. Because it _was_ going to happen. But it wouldn't be right if he did. I was following my dreams and he would follow his. It wouldn't be right any other way.

"Nothing's going to change. Not between us, at least." I whispered, grabbing his hand in mine and smiling up at him. "I'll always love you. I don't think that anyone else could replace you."

He nodded, looking down at me with his beautiful green eyes.

"There isn't anyone else for me," he told me seriously and I smiled, leaning up to kiss his lips chastely.

I was startled when he sat up. I raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet when he pulled me up so that we were both sitting up on my bed.

He smiled down at me nervously before grabbing something out of his pocket. I watched as he held up a silver ring, holding it between his thumb and fore finger.

"I'm not proposing yet," he chuckled, shaking his head to himself. "This is a promise to you. That I'll come back. And if you accept it, you'll come back too. That even after going our own ways, we'll come back to each other."

I smiled, the tears already streaming down my cheeks as I nodded.

He chuckled and grabbed my hand, slipping it onto my ring finger. He smiled and kissed it before leaning up to kiss me.

"I won't take it off." I promised him and he grinned widely at me, hugging me tightly to his chest. I smiled and buried my face in his chest, unable to hold back the tears.

"I love you, Edward," I choked out, hugging him tightly.

"I love you too, Bella. So much," he whispered and I smiled, placing a kiss over his heart. "And I'll always love you. Forever."

I sobbed at his words, the tears coming faster as I realized that the words was engraved on the silver band. _Forever._ It was all I wanted with him.

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**A/N: Yes, its a promise ring! Don't get confused. They aren't engaged. Drop your opinion in the box below and I will see you guys next week!**

**- Eli**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**THIS IS **_the last regular chapter_**... I hope you guys enjoy :D**

**A/N: Enjoy, read, review. Let's all do this, shall we? SHOUT OUT TO **yagalinus0420**! Thank you so much for your review, it is appreciated and actually had me smiling hahaha Hope you guys like it! Fingers crossed over here haha**

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Chapter 30:

Edward and I didn't talk again about the audition or Friday. We stuck together through Thursday where there was still a bit of tension on the field. But it quickly ended when I managed to make a touchdown, laughing loudly at all of the guys' expressions.

"Oh come on," I teased. "Can't any of you guys even tackle me down?"

Emmett laughed and picked me up in his arms, twirling me around until I was laughing and shouting for him to put me down. Jasper hugged me once I was put down and I smiled at him.

"Its good to have you back, Bells." He grinned down at me, his blue eyes shining.

I grinned back and chuckled when Edward pulled me away from him and hugged me tightly before letting me go.

"Let's get the show on the road!" Coach shouted, catching out attention.

I blushed and laughed when Edward let me go before nodding his head towards the guys. We got into formation and Edward murmured the numbers to me before calling out the play.

Before long, I was running with Tommy and Lyle on my tail as I rushed the ball towards the end zone. I was catching Edward's throws and running back and forth, fulfilling the plays and carrying them out effortlessly. I watched as Edward was called off to the side by a man in a suit.

For a moment, I thought that he'd been one of the many reporters that were still hanging around trying to get to me. But he wasn't. And I watched in silence as he and Coach talked together with Edward.

Slowly, the guys were being called forward one by one and being dismissed to the locker room for the end of the day. It wasn't long before I was called forward and I walked over tensely.

Edward, Em, and Jazz stayed off to the side but within earshot, obviously waiting for me to head into the locker room.

"Bella Swan," the man grinned widely, "I've heard many things about you. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a field agent that's helps the big football teams find their players. Rick Brian."

I shook his hand with a pleasant smile. With a curt nod I said, "not interested."

He raised his eyebrows at me in surprise.

"You're a good player." he began to say but I shook my head.

"I enjoy playing football but I'm not going to do it for the rest of my life. I appreciate you taking your time to talk to me and all Mr. Brian. But I think you'd be better off directing your attention towards those who love the game."

I nodded towards my boyfriend and two best friends who were looking between me and Rick Brian with intent eyes.

"They're meant to be out on the field." I said and smiled at Mr. Brian when he looked at me with a bit of annoyance on his face.

"You'd be a good player," he tried again.

"Thank you, sir. But no thanks." I said.

"Very well. I just wanted to give it a try." He said with a shrug. "You can call me if you change your mind, of course."

I grabbed the card he held out and chuckled.

"I'll talk to my manager," I muttered.

"And who might that be?" he asked me quickly before I could walk away.

"Esme Cullen. My mom," I said and he nodded. I smiled and walked over to the guys who were looking at me now.

"Mom's going to throw a fit if that guy calls her," Jazz told me quietly as I told them what had happened. Emmett chuckled and twirled the business card in his fingers, shaking his head.

"You know she loves it when you call her 'mom', Bells. I think its cuz she's waiting for you and Eddie to get married," Emmett grinned widely when I blushed. I snatched the business card out of his hands and shook my head at him.

"Don't call me Eddie!" Edward snapped at him and both Em and Jazz laughed.

"So you don't deny it?" Emmett waggled his eyebrows at his brother.

"Its none of your business," Edward muttered, blushing. He pulled me into his arms and grabbed my left hand in his.

"What's that?" Jasper said and Edward quickened his pace, making me nearly stumble.

"What's what?" Edward asked as we rushed into the locker room. "Go change, love." he muttered and I rolled my eyes at their antics before grabbing my clothes and heading into the bathrooms.

"You proposed to her?!" My eyes widened and I snickered when I realized that all of the guys were ganging up on Edward. And they were gossiping.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly changed as Edward fended for himself as the guys demanded to know what the hell was happening between me and Edward.

"We're not getting married guys. Not yet," Edward said with a scowl. "Its a promise ring."

"What's the promise?" Emmett asked.

"That's between me and Bella," Edward said, and I stepped out of the bathroom, seeing him cross his arms in front of his chest firmly. I giggled and blushed when they all turned to look at me.

"Um, I'll see you guys outside?" I said it, glancing over at Edward. He nodded when no one else did. I bit my lip nervously when I realized that they had their attention focused on my left hand where the silver band was.

"Alright. I'm going out with Rose and Ali today. They said that they wanted to take me shopping for the summer," I muttered and Edward nodded. Em and Jazz were still staring at my hand with everyone else.

"Right. So I'll see you guys later?" I said it as a question and they nodded. "Bye," I waved and giggled when Edward pulled me back before I could get very far. He kissed my lips before I could stop him and I sighed.

"Edward, I'm all sweaty," I groaned and he chuckled before kissing me again and wishing me a good day. I rolled my eyes to his my happiness, trying to be annoyed with him. It didn't fool him. He grinned widely at me and waved good bye, watching me leave with Rose and Ali.

"That is never happening again, Alice." I groaned as I collapsed on the couch with my arms still full of bags. She rolled her eyes at me as Rosalie laughed some more. I thought that Rose would have been able to rein in Alice.

She did no such thing. She didn't even try. She told me that this was her revenge for what I did earlier in the year, unleashing Alice on her.

I thought it was fair at first. Now, not so much.

My feet ached, my stomach grumbled because I was hungry, my arms had no strength left to even unload the bags off of them, and my eyes were so tired. And then the game was supposed to be tomorrow.

"You guys are back!" Emmett's voice drifted into the room. I saw his blurry figure hug Rose. And then their laughter filled the room as everyone entered.

"What's wrong with Bella?" I heard Carlisle ask as I let my eyes close.

"I'm tired," I groaned. "Alice killed me. I'm never walking again."

I heard them laugh and then I was being picked up. I sagged in his arms, smiling a bit when I realized that Edward had picked me up in his arms.

"Alice, why the hell are bags tied to her arms?" Edward demanded harshly.

"It was the only way she could carry the rest of her bags," Alice said in a 'duh' tone.

"I'm never shopping again," I groaned, burying my face into Edward's chest. I felt fingers tugging at my arms and I blinked my eyes open when I felt my arms lighten up considerably.

"Go to sleep, love. We have a day to look forward to tomorrow," Edward told me quietly and I sighed, mumbling a slurred goodnight before falling asleep in his arms. I wanted to stay in them for the rest of my life.

The next morning was hectic and I found myself being rushed around by mom, Ali, and Rose in the morning. I was dressed in a beautiful blue halter shirt and a pair of jeans along with some boots. I didn't fight them, knowing that they were excited for today. It was the big game afterall.

And... I had a spare change of clothes in my truck. A more comfortable set of clothes. But they didn't need to know that.

I was showered, dressed, and fed before being shoved out of the house and into Edward's Volvo. I couldn't stop laughing as Esme waved goodbye to us, wishing us luck. We wouldn't see her until probably after the game. We had no time to come home since Coach wanted us there early.

Edward kissed my cheek before driving off to school.

I sighed as I looked out at all of the students. Everyone was dressed in the school colors, navy blue and gold. Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice were already outside being greeted by everyone. But as I sat back in my seat, Edward did too.

"I said it would work out, right?" Edward asked me, grabbing my hand in his. I squeezed his hand, a smile creeping onto my face when I caught sight of my promise ring.

"You did," I nodded my head in agreement.

"We'll be fine," he told me and I nodded sucking in my tears.

"Thanks, Edward. How is it that you always know what to do or say to fix me?" I asked him and he chuckled, shaking his head at me.

"I don't." He shook his head at me.

"You do," I smiled and he grinned at me.

"Well, come on. We need to get you out there." Edward said with a wide grin.

"What? Its not me they're waiting for!" I laughed. "You're the quarterback, Edward."

He laughed and shook his head. He got out of the car and quickly rounded the car, helping me out. I smiled and leaned up, capturing his lips in a kiss.

"Promise we'll always be okay," he whispered, looking down into my eyes intensely.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. "We'll always be okay."

"And if we ever run into problems we'll come back here. To Forks." He told me and I smiled nodding my agreement.

"Swan, what are you doing?!" Coach shouted as I rushed the ball through the mass of football players. I managed to throw it to Tommy before getting tackled down to the ground.

It was 7:50 p.m. and we were up by twelve points.

"Get her out from under there!" Coach bellowed as the mass of bodies were shoved off of me. I gasped for air and groaned. Getting tackled by four heavy set football players wasn't a good feeling. I enjoyed the adrenaline. But it only lasted for so long.

"Hey, Bells," Jasper chuckled as he and Lyle helped me up to my feet, "how are you? Can you walk?"

"What the hell, Bella? You were supposed to run the play!" Edward hissed, his anger overshadowing his concern.

"No one was open so I did the first thing that I thought of before I could get tackled down. I got some yards in," I protested and he sighed, shaking his head at me.

"Are you alright?" he asked me quietly, his jaw tense and his eyes looking into mine.

"I'm fine. Just need to catch my breath," I said with a bit of a laugh. "I'll be fine, Edward. I swear."

"You're never playing football after we graduate," he said, shaking his head to himself. I laughed and shook my head.

"I think I'll be too worried about my next album to play. But I can watch you," I grinned and he grinned back, his smile lighting up his entire face.

"You'll come and see me?" he asked me.

"Of course I will. I might not make it to all of the games but I will come to a few." I said and he laughed, pulling me into a hug. We were brought back to the present by Coach's bellow.

"What are you doing?! The clock is still running!"

I laughed and shook my head as I pushed Edward away and we quickly ran back onto the field to run the play. Edward called it out and muttered the numbers to me.

I frowned, realizing that it was three this time. I watched as Edward shared a look with Emmett and then we were off. Time flew by as we tried to keep the ball among our players.

"We're up by twenty points. We're finishing this early," Emmett told me and I stretched my arms above my head, nodding in agreement.

"Its time for you to go, Bella. Its 8:17," Jasper told me.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked him as Edward quickly pulled off my helmet and Emmett carried me off of the field. "Emmett, put me down! We still have a game to play!"

He set me down and I landed on my feet with a huff, glaring at my teammates as they surrounded me.

"You once told us that we shouldn't give up something that we love to support you," Edward said and I felt my eyes widen.

"Well, now we're telling you that we're not going to let you give up this chance." Jasper said.

"We can handle the game, Bella. You need to start heading out. Alice and Rose will be driving you and Charlie will be giving you a police escort. Mom's already over there," Emmett told me and I felt my eyes well with tears as I looked over towards Edward.

"I told you I'd make it work," he grinned crookedly at me.

"I don't know what to say, guys." I sniffed loudly and they all chuckled.

"Say thanks and get outta here. We'll meet up with you soon enough," Fabian said and I laughed. Edward pulled me into a hug and kissed me quickly before telling me to go.

And I did. I rushed over to tell Coach that I was leaving the game early.

"I'm sorry, Coach." I began to say but he cut me off before I could get any farther.

"I know, Swan. We'll meet you up there," he grinned and I laughed, nodding before running off of the field where Alice and Rose were waiting for me impatiently.

"Let's go," Alice tugged me impatiently.

"You're going to have to change in the car. The clothes are already set," Rose told me and I laughed, not believing that this was real. I nodded and we ran to the car. Alice sped off with Rose in the passenger seat and me in the backseat.

Charlie blared his sirens as he drove in front of us, clearing the path for us. I managed to get jeans on and a tight shirt over my head before Alice parked outside of a building. And then they were rushing me inside, pulling my arms through the sleeves of a sweater.

"Miss Swan, we didn't think you'd make it," one of the three men at the tables said with a raised eyebrow.

"I said she would. Don't you believe me anymore, Teddy?" Esme asked the man with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, everyone has already gone so you can go up whenever you're ready," the two other men told me and I nodded, blowing out a breath. This was really happening.

"You'll blow them away, no doubt." Rose beamed at me.

"Show them who can really sing, Bella," Alice giggled as she bounced beside me.

I nodded and climbed up the side stairs of the stage, immediately being blinded by the bright lights from up above. _This was good. I couldn't be nervous if I couldn't see them._

"Whenever you're ready, Miss Swan." Teddy told me and I blushed, nodding.

_"The way you move is like a full on rainstorm_

_And I'm a house of cards_

_You're the kind of reckless that should send me running_

_But I kinda know that I won't get far_

_And you stood there in front of me just..._

_Close enough to touch_

_Close enough to hope you couldn't see_

_What I was thinking of_

_Drop everything now_

_Meet me in the pouring rain_

_Kiss me on the sidewalk_

_Take away the pain_

_Cuz I see_

_Sparks fly_

_Whenever you smile_

_Get me with those green eyes baby_

_As the lights go down_

_Get me something that'll haunt me_

_When you're not around_

_Cuz I see sparks fly whenever_

_You... smile_

_My mind forgets to remind me_

_You're a bad idea_

_You me touch once and its really something _

_You find I'm even better than you_

_Imagined I would be_

_I'm on my guard for the rest of the world_

_But with you,_

_I know its no good_

_And I could wait patiently_

_But I really wish you would_

_Drop everything now_

_Meet me in the pouring rain_

_Kiss me on the sidewalk_

_Take away the pain_

_Cuz I see_

_Sparks fly_

_Whenever you smile_

_Get me with those green eyes baby_

_As the lights go down_

_Get me something that'll haunt me_

_When you're not around_

_Cuz I see sparks fly whenever_

_You... smile_

_I run my fingers through your hair_

_And watch the lights go wild_

_Just keep on keeping your eyes on me_

_It just wrong enough to make it feel right_

_And lead me up the staircase _

_Won't you whisper something slow?_

_I'm captivated by you baby_

_Like a fireworks show_

_Drop everything now_

_Meet me in the pouring rain_

_Kiss me on the sidewalk_

_Take away the pain_

_Cuz I see_

_Sparks fly_

_Whenever you smile_

_Get me with those green eyes baby_

_As the lights go down_

_Get me something that'll haunt me_

_When you're not around_

_Cuz I see sparks fly whenever_

_You... smile_

_And the sparks fly_

_Oh, baby smile_

_When the sparks fly..."_

The bright lights dimmed and I curtsied, blushing when I realized that the small theatre was filled with roaring cheers and clapping. I smiled when I looked up, seeing the three judges looking stunned into silence. My smiled widened when I caught sight of Edward. He was beaming with pride, standing on his feet with the rest of the the team and clapping the hell out of his hands making me laugh loudly.

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**A/N: So this was the last chapter... before the Epilogue I mean. The Epilogue's next, I already have it written out and I hope you like it. I actually cried when I wrote this cuz this was it. *sighs* Well, drop your opinion in the box below and I will see you guys next time for the Epilogue! :D**

**Song Mentioned:**

_Sparks Fly - _Taylor Swift

**- Eli**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all for reading and keeping up with me and the madness I've created throughout this story. Otherwise, I'd like to introduce you to THE EPILOGUE! But before I do, I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT TO ****TwilightFreak19****!**

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Chapter 31: **Epilogue**

_Six Years Later_

A little over half a decade passed and Isabella Swan became a famous singer, adored by her fans ranging from toddlers to middle aged people. She'd adored them all and had hired her best friends to work for her when they themselves ran into problems along their careers.

Alice Cullen was Bella's wardrobe designer. Rosalie helped with the cars, going into the business of a mechanic. Bella helped them open up their own lines of work and it wasn't long before Rosalie was an internationally revered mechanic. One of the first female mechanics to make it big.

Alice opened her own line of clothes and was widely sought after.

Charlie stayed in Forks and had made sure that Phil and Renee never bothered his daughter again, making sure that her security detail kept track of the two at all times. Phil and Renee, in turn, were charged for their crimes and tried. Phil was serving a sentence of twenty five years in prison while Renee pleaded guilty before attempting to take her own life. It had been a terrible time for the Swans and Cullens. Eventually, Renee was locked up in a mental facility where she was constantly supervised and was allowed no visitors.

Bella had heard about her long-distance boyfriend's successes. They talked every now and then but their jobs kept them away from each other for the most part. That didn't mean that they didn't talk or text or visit each other. They just didn't do it much.

Edward became the star QB for the Chicago Bears. He had been completely happy when Emmett had joined him. Jasper had cut his football career short and had gone to law school. Carlisle and Esme had gone different ways to help their children but were just as close as ever. Esme had kept an eye on the girls as Bella's manager and agent while Carlisle kept an eye on his sons as the football team's doctor. This did not mean that Carlisle and Esme had divorced, but they were living their lives with their children and taking advantage of their phones and the new technology.

And Jasper became Edward and Emmett's lawyer after building up his own law firms in Seattle, Chicago, and New York.

Edward and Bella never talked about their personal lives when interviewed. They cleared up any misconceptions whenever the paparazzi tried to make it look like they were going out with other people. Edward watched his girlfriend from the Tv or in magazines, happy to see that she'd kept her promise and hadn't taken off her ring.

Everyone wondered who Bella talked to on the phone after a concert or a tour but she never answered their questions, telling them that she deserved her own privacy. Edward's teammates, Coach, and several of his fans also wondered who he talked to on the phone after a game or at late hours into the night. He didn't go out to bars, refusing to drink alcohol.

There was nothing to celebrate if he didn't have Bella at his side. And he wouldn't risk getting inebriated just to wake up with a girl in his bed. He would never cheat on Bella.

It had been on Sunday November 13, after another victory, that he was paraded out of the field. His teammates shouted their congratulations and cheers, pounding him on the back for another game well played.

He was walking over to his locker when he caught the end of Emmett's conversation.

"She's in Forks. Said she got into a heated argument with her music video producer. She said that she's finished and she wants to come to Chicago. Here," Jasper said.

_Jasper? Wait, what the hell? Who are they talking about?_ Edward thought. Jasper only came by on emergencies or if he had to break out into legal jargin.

"Well, Edward has to go to a press conference. He can't go now. What are you going to tell him? She's been crying and locked herself in Charlie's house." Emmett hissed.

"No, Rose just told me that she left Charlie's house already. Alice couldn't stop her at the airport. She's headed over here. She wanted to see him," Jasper said and Edward stepped forward, seeing Jasper type something into his phone before opening his mouth to speak again.

But Emmett had caught sight of Edward and had stopped talking. Jasper turned, following his brother's gaze and stopped short when he caught sight of Edward.

"Yo, man! Emmett, great tackle back there. Thanks for having my back." The running back called out and Emmett grinned half-heartedly, nodding his head towards his teammate.

"What's up guys? What's going on here?" Coach cleared his throat, looking between his quarterback, left tackle, and their lawyer.

"Nothing, Coach. Its just some old-" Jasper began to try and cover but Edward's mind was whirling, connecting the pieces in his mind from what he'd heard.

"She's coming here?" Edward choked out. "She's in Forks. Why didn't you tell me?!" his voice steadily rose in volume along with his fury, drawing the attention of their teammates who were changing out of their equipment.

"Ed, man, it wasn't anything big. We didn't want you doing anything stupid and you had to be in the game anyways," Emmett began to say but Edward cut him off.

"It was before the game? Jesus, Em, what the fuck?! We've been out there for hours and you didn't fucking tell me?" Edward bellowed.

"Cullen, what's wrong man? We should be celebrating. Not shouting," one of the D men said, shaking his head at Edward.

Jasper shook his head at the team mate, telling him to shut up but it was done.

Edward slammed his locker open and stripped out of his uniform, tugging on his clothes in a hurry before grabbing his keys.

"Edward, where are you going?" Jasper asked anxiously.

"Where I should've been from the beginning," Edward snapped, shoving his feet into his shoes and jumping around before slamming his locker shut and rushing through the rows of lockers.

"Whoa! Little lady, what are you doing in here? This is the locker room," one of the linebackers laughed. Edward's vision turned red as he caught sight of his friend's hands on a teary eyed Bella.

"Let her go, Briggs!" Edward bellowed, glaring at him.

"What? You know her?" Briggs laughed but stopped when he saw the fury on his face. He'd never seen Edward so mad. No one had seen him so mad. Ever.

Edward was level headed and was always keeping his composure out on the field and off of it. Briggs immediately let go of the haggard looking brunette as if his hands were on fire and watched along with the rest of the eavesdropping team members as Edward rushed to her side.

"Edward," Bella sobbed as she hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest, immediately feeling the hole in her chest that she'd been carrying around for years disappear when he pulled her closer. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to appear out of no where but I wanted to see you."

"Its alright, love. Its fine. Don't ever apologize," Edward soothed quietly and quickly picked her up in his arms.

"What are y'all looking at? Haven't you seen two lovebirds reunite?" Jasper drawled as the team gawked at Edward and Bella.

"God, baby, I'm all sweaty," Edward muttered and pulled away from her.

She managed to choke out a laugh. "It never stopped you from kissing me before," she said and he chuckled, his eyes lighting up as he stared down into her beautiful brown eyes.

They stared at each other for a long moment, just staring. Their eyes communicated silently as they clutched to each other, holding each other closely as they smiled lovingly at each other.

"Bella! What the hell? You were supposed to-" Alice burst into the locker room but stopped at the sight of her best friend and brother in each other's arms.

"Alice, what are you doing?! This is the locker room!" Jasper rushed over and covered her face.

"Don't touch my hair, Jazzy!" she whined as he pulled her to his chest, shielding her from the view of the half naked football players.

"Mrs. Whitlock?! Mrs. Whitlock, is Miss Swan there? What happened?"

Alice jumped at the sound of the frantic voices of the reporters that had caught sight of her. It was well known that Bella didn't go anywhere without her best friends. It she didn't have Rose by her side, she had Alice.

And Alice was in Chicago when she was supposed to be in Los Angeles with Isabella Swan. Pushing herself away from Jasper, Alice shoved Edward and Bella into a row of lockers where some of the football players were still staring and changing.

"What the fuck?!" Edward shouted, holding Bella close to him to keep her from falling.

"Shut it. And stay there," she said, narrowing her eyes warningly at both him and Bella. Bella giggled but buried her face into Edward's chest when Alice hissed at them to be quiet.

"Ali, what are you doing?" Emmett asked, looking confused when she pulled some of the football players away from their lockers and strategically placed them so that they were shielding Bella and Edward.

"Shut up and don't any of you move," she snapped at them. "Jazzy, kiss me."

Jasper raised his eyebrows at his wife but shrugged and pulled her close, kissing her while the team stood by awkwardly. They didn't move as she demanded, afraid of the little woman who they knew to be Jasper's wife.

"Oh. Its a reunion," a reporter said, looking out of breath as she smiled at Jasper and Alice who were still lip locked.

"We're not getting anything here. Come on guys," the reporters shook their heads before leaving the locker room.

"Alice, what the fuck?!" Emmett hissed at his sister.

"Don't you dare curse at me." Alice stomped her foot and glared up at her brother. "I needed to cover for my bestie."

"Like hell she's your bestie!" Emmett snapped angrily.

"She's been cooking for me so she's _my_ bestie!" Alice shouted before turning to sweetly smile at her stunned husband. "Thank you, Jazzy. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetums," he chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"Okay, you can all move now." Alice said and shoved passed the football players. "Bella? Edward? Where did they go?" She shrieked, glaring at the spot that she'd left them at. A spot that was void of the couple.

Bella and Edward walked down the football field. The stands were empty and they were alone. The trash from the crowd had been cleaned up long ago and they were alone. Edward had pulled Bella out of the locker room once he'd gotten the chance, wanting to spend some time alone to talk.

It had been several months since they'd last seen each other. But none of that had happened under stressful situations.

"Jazz said you were upset about a music video," he said quietly, prompting her to speak about what she had clearly been upset about.

"Yeah," she whispered softly.

"Didn't you like it? I mean, you enjoy making your music videos," he said, looking at her quietly. He knew that she enjoyed her music career. He enjoyed his own career. But they both knew that there was something missing in their lives. Each other.

But they could never do anything about it. And they refused to give up on each other.

"He wanted me to do some things that I didn't want to," she said, angry tears welling in her eyes.

"Tell me his name and I'll kick his ass," Edward said, wiping away her tears before they could fall. She laughed and shook her head. "Bella, I'm serious."

Her smile waned a bit and she nodded.

"Its just," she sighed, looking out at the football field. It had been a long while since she'd been back on the field. She smiled wistfully, remembering those days. She still talked to the guys every once in a while. Some of them made their own careers in football across the country and others went into other fields.

Her smile fell off of her face as she thought back to what had driven her away from L.A. in the first place and all the way back home. Edward had told her that they would always go back home if they'd had any trouble. The only problem with that was that when she got there, he wasn't there. And so, still crying, she'd booked a flight to Chicago.

She'd had enough.

Bella thoroughly enjoyed her music career. And even though her relationship with Edward was at a standstill because of their jobs, they still managed to stay together. Breaking up simply wasn't an option. She'd had all of her firsts with Edward. First boyfriend. First kiss. First makeout session. First fight. First promise ring. And sex. She'd given it all to him and he always gave back.

Edward was a giver and he enjoyed spoiling her whenever he had the chance. He did nothing with his money, spending his time at his condo and going through film study for the games. He trained and made sure to stay fit. And he kept track of his girlfriend's movements.

Girlfriend didn't even seem like an appropriate name for her at a certain point. But he wouldn't propose to her until they found a balance in their lives that included them being together again.

"He wanted me to wear some stupid skimpy bikini and strip down. I mean, it wasn't like the camera would be on me but I wasn't comfortable with it. And I didn't like it," she said finally.

He fell silent as she sniffed, pushing back her angry tears again.

"And then we got into this huge argument. My songs aren't provocative. I've always written about my thoughts and experiences," she sniffed and smiled a bit when Edward grabbed her hand in his.

"There's nothing wrong with your music, Bella." Edward told her firmly.

She nodded and continued. "And he was telling me that this would get my music out there more. And well, I would like that. But there's no way in hell that I'm going to sell my body to do it. I'd do it my own way."

"What did mom say?" Edward asked her quietly.

"She wasn't there. She was at a meeting over in New York." Bella said with a sigh.

"Well, doesn't your contract say something about this?" Edward asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah," she said, brightening with his words, "I read through it. It said I get creative freedom with my music and the music videos."

"Which means that you get to say what you want and don't want in the video," he said, happy when a smile broke out onto her face.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you, Edward?" she asked him, wrapping her arms around his neck and blushing when her chest came flush to his. She could feel the the muscles on his chest. His abs and eight pack which led down to a delicious 'v'.

"Not yet," he whispered, lowering his head down to hers and barely brushing his lips against hers. She moaned and pulled him closer, trying to pull his lips down to hers. When he resisted, she tried to lean up but was stopped when he grabbed her waist in his hands. He chuckled at the pout on her lips.

"I love you, Edward. So much," she whispered sincerely and moaned when he pulled her close, crashing his lips to hers abruptly.

"I love you, Bella. More than your much," he whispered against her lips and making her giggle.

"I missed you." She whispered against his lips. He hummed contentedly and she giggled as he wrapped an arm around her waist and dipped her low before deepening the kiss.

"Bella!" he shouted in surprise when she slipped out of his arms and ran down the field, laughing loudly. It was a complete 180 from how he'd first seen her. And he was happy to see her loking so carefree.

"You'll never catch me," Bella laughed as she grabbed a football from the cart off to the side and ran down the field.

"Get back here!" he laughed loudly, running after her.

She managed to get to the fifty yard line before realizing that he was seconds from reaching her. Throwing the ball, it flew into the end zone just as Edward grabbed her around the waist.

"I win!" she cheered as he threw her over his shoulder and ran around, drawing laughter out of her as she clutched onto his back to keep from slipping.

"What the hell are you two doing out here?!" Alice shouted once she located the sound of their laughter. The team followed them out onto the field, in time to witness Bella throw the ball into the end zone before being caught by Edward.

"Earlier, they said Swan." Matt, one of the running backs, said, looking over onto the field at Edward.

"And then you said 'Bella.' So..." Stephen, the defensive tackle, trailed off as he looked at Edward and Bella on the field with the rest of the team.

"Are you saying that Edward's secret girlfriend is Isabella Swan?" Patrick, one of the line backers, asked Alice.

"That's her," Emmett said before Alice could deny it.

"The singer?" he asked Emmett with wide eyes.

"Edward, put me down!" Bella shouted as she laughed hysterically, catching their attention. "Edward, I'm serious. Aah!"

Bella shrieked as he threw her up in the air before catching her as she fell back down. She glared at him when he laughed at her panicked expression.

"Jerk," she hissed as she pushed him away and jumped out of his arms.

"Oh, come on love. You know I wasn't going to drop you," he chuckled, pulling her into his arms and kissing her shoulder quietly.

"That doesn't mean that you can throw me over your shoulder like a caveman," she muttered, pulling away.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, following behind her closely.

She laughed and shook her head as she neared the cart full of footballs.

"Uh, Ms. Swan?" Dane, the wide receiver, asked hesitantly as Bella grabbed a football and twirled away from Edward's grasp with a giggle. Bella looked up, blushing when she saw Edward's football teammates staring at her with wide eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry," Bella blushed. "I came over here crying and I didn't even introduce myself."

"We know who you are," Matt shook his head at her.

"You do?" she asked confused, glancing over curiously towards her boyfriend, soul mate, and the love of her life. Edward chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"You're the famous singer," another one spoke up, catching her attention. "My wife loves your music."

Blushing, Bella laughed and nodded.

"Thank you," she grinned and they found themselves smiling back. "You can call me Bella. No need for the formalities. God knows I have to go through them back in L.A." She said with a playful roll of her eyes.

Edward chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back.

"Well, Bella," Matt cleared his throat, "I don't mean to offend you or anything but Coach only lets us get the footballs if we're going to play."

He looked at her pointedly, his quiet statement very clear. He didn't think that she could play. And the last thing that he expected for her to do was laugh.

Bella wiped her eyes as she continued to laugh and shook her head.

"I'm not offended," she assured him.

"You're laughing," he said, looking confused.

"Its funny," she shrugged, a wide smile on her face.

"Alright, you've had your fun. Put the ball down." Edward muttered and tried to grab the football from her hands but was startled when she ducked out of his reach and ran over to Emmett.

"Em, quick! Hide me." She whispered loudly, giggling.

"Bella," Edward warned as he stepped close to Emmett.

"You'll never catch me!" Bella shouted, running away from Edward when he lunged around Emmett.

"Jazz! Block him!" Bella laughed, running down the field.

"I'm in my suit," he protested.

"Pansy!" Bella taunted, laughing.

He frowned at her and ran after Edward, keeping him from getting to Bella at the last minute. All the while, everyone was staring at the three of them in amusement.

"You sure can run fast but Edward's faster," Stephen told Bella as she laughed her way into the end zone.

"I know," Bella laughed, smiling proudly over at Edward who was laughing with Jasper out on the field.

"Well, can you throw the ball?" Briggs asked her and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't think Edward would like it," she shook her head.

"Why not?" a few of them asked, looking confused.

"Did you forget how to throw a football already, Bells?" Emmett taunted.

"I haven't done it in a while. And Edward doesn't like it," she shook her head, remembering her promise to him after that last big game. He had always been too worried during the games. And even though he hid it well enough from everyone else, he didn't from her. He hated seeing his friends and other football players running after her, swearing to her that he almost got a heart attack every time that it happened.

"Edward loves football. Did he teach you how to play?" Josh, another quarterback, asked her. Emmett laughed loudly.

"Hell no, Edward didn't teach her how to play," Emmett boomed loudly.

"What are you guys talking about over there?" Edward asked, hearing his name being said by his brother.

"Jazz!" Bella called, seeing her best friend out in the center of the field with Edward. "Do you remember how to catch or have you been gone that long?"

Jasper rolled his eyes at her while Edward looked at her suspiciously.

"Can you still catch Edward's throws?" he raised an eyebrow in response, the question rhetorical. She laughed and quickly threw the ball at him, smiling as the action felt so effortless.

It was a perfect spiral, spinning in the air and quickly caught by her best friend.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Josh asked her, looking between her and Jasper in shock.

"Most people don't know this but Edward, Emmett, and Jazz were on the same football team back in high school," Alice spoke up, watching Jasper pass the ball to Edward who threw it back to Bella. She grinned and quickly caught it.

They watched as Edward ran over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her quickly and making her blush.

"And Bella was on that team too," Jasper grinned at the stunned faces of the team.

"Do you remember that last game?" Emmett grinned widely, rolling his eyes at the two lovebirds but not having it in him to tease them. They hardly spent enough time together.

"Hell yeah, I do!" Jasper laughed, fist bumping with Emmett. "We won by thirty two points! We would've finished them earlier but Bella had to go."

"Hey," Bella protested loudly, pulling away from Edward's tempting lips, "you guys were the ones who shoved me off of the field!"

"We made it to your audition though," Edward grinned, pulling her lips back to his. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring his gawking team.

"And you wrote that cheesy song for Edward," Alice sighed dreamily.

"Sparks fly," Bella nodded and smiled widely when Edward hummed the chorus into her ear. "You remember that?"

"Its been on the charts for years now, Bella. How could he forget it," Emmett teased, making her blush.

"So you can sing _and_ play football?" Matt cleared his throat, looking at Bella with wide eyes. "Cullen, you lucky bastard." He glared at Edward.

Edward beamed over at him, smiling widely.

"You must be something special, Bella." Stephen murmured with a low chuckle. "I don't think we've ever seen Cullen this happy."

Bella blushed and smiled, thanking him quietly.

"Yeah, we're just waiting for them to get married." Alice said with a sigh.

"Alice!" Bella hissed while Edward laughed loudly at his sister.

"What's stopping you?" Matt asked them.

Bella's smile dimmed while Edward's fell altogether.

"You're both here now. And you obviously make each other happy," Josh nodded his head in agreement. "Why don't you guys just tie the knot now?"

"Ha! Teddy would get a kick out of that," Bella laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

"It wouldn't be good for either of them," Alice frowned then. "Bella's ranked as one of the hottest girls and Edward is seen as the hottest eligible bachelor."

"Don't your managers know about you?" Stephen asked them. He thought back, realizing that Edward hadn't ever showed any interest in the women or fans that threw themselves at him. And nothing had come up in the news about Bella Swan in any relationships.

"She's in New York right now," Bella whispered, smiling when Edward pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Is that why you came over here crying?" Briggs asked her curiously.

"Stupid producer," Bella muttered under her breath, glaring down at the ground.

"Uh huh," Emmett muttered, not knowing what to make of Bella's suddenly sour mood.

"Why don't we give them some space?" Jasper cleared his throat and looked pointedly over at the team. They muttered their agreement and called their goodbyes to Bella before leaving the field. And then Edward and Bella were alone once again.

"You know, its getting tiring Edward." She whispered as they walked over to the side of the field, sitting down on a bench.

"Being away from each other," he nodded, already knowing what she was talking about.

"I miss you." She said quietly and smiled a bit when he grabbed her hand. She played with his fingers silently, feeling tears well in her eyes when he whispered the words back to her.

"My contract doesn't end for a while." He told her quietly. "But maybe I could go and visit you in L.A.?"

She didn't like that. "Visit." It didn't seem right. They'd been away from each other for so long and the best that they could manage for each other were visits in between their hectic schedules. And even then, it didn't seem like enough.

"My contract ends in a few weeks," she told him and looked up shyly when he fell silent.

"Bella," he began to protest, already knowing what she was thinking of but she cut him off quickly.

"Its been years Edward. And all we've managed to do is visit each other. I've had my dream and its been great. But I think its time that it stopped." She told him seriously. "I have all this money and all of this fame. And its great, sure. I have fans and I love them. But it doesn't seem so great when I know that I can't come home to you."

She bit her lip as he stayed silent, letting her talk.

"I want to be here for your games. I want to be here for your victories and come home to you. I want to have a home with you. All of the traveling and music tours have given me enough time to think. And I don't want to do it anymore, Edward. I want to stay in one place. With you."

"Would you be opposed to living here then?" he asked her quietly, trying not to let her words give him too much hope. "I don't want you to give up your dream and then regret it."

"I have a new dream, Edward." She whispered, smiling up at him earnestly.

"Tell me and I'll make sure it happens, love. I'll give you whatever you want." He promised her, making her smile widely.

"I want a home. With you. I want to wake up to you every morning." She whispered.

"Do you still want those kids?" he asked her quietly, remembering how they had previously discussed their wishful thoughts on a life together. A Victorian style home, three or four kids, and a large backyard.

She smiled widely, giving him her answer.

"Then I guess there's only one thing left in order for this to happen," he said and she frowned at him, wondering what was missing. Her jaw dropped and she watched with wide eyes as Edward cleared his throat before standing up and lowering himself to one knee in front of her.

Clearing his throat, he grabbed her hands in his as he looked up at her with her favorite crooked grin on his face.

"Isabella Marie Swan," he grinned when she snorted, "I have been in love with you for just about seven years now but it seems like a lifetime. And I have never loved and never will love anyone else like I love you. I promise to do everything in my power to keep you happy. I swear that I will always protect you and love you. You have bewitched me," he said honestly and she giggled, recognizing the line from one of her favorite books, "and I wouldn't have it any other way. Will you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me and making me the happiest man alive? Will you be my Mrs. Cullen?"

She grinned at him, tears streaming down her face as she stared at him. Her boyfriend. Her soul mate. The love of her life.

She couldn't help it as she tackled him down on the football field, laughing as she kissed him.

Chuckling, he pulled away from her and held her at arms length.

"Bella, love, you still haven't answered," he said as a bit of anxiety seeped into him.

"You didn't get my answer out of that?" she asked him in surprise.

"I want to hear you say it," he shrugged and she grinned, loving how shy and insecure he looked. She had always belonged to him. There was no possible way to deny him of anything.

"Yes, Edward." She laughed elatedly. "Yes, I'll be your wife."

Grinning, he lifted her in his arms and twirled her around before she crashed her mouth to his.

"We're getting married," he breathed, beaming up at her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him.

"Yeah," she grinned widely.

"We're buying a home..." he trailed off.

"In Chicago," she finished and his smile grew impossibly large.

"I love you, Bella." He murmured as he kissed her passionately.

~~~~PTHN~~~~

Nearly five years passed and with it, Bella's fame waned after she left the music industry and moved to Chicago. When it became known that she was engaged and then married to star quarterback Edward Cullen, they were put in the limelight. The Cullens were just happy to see the two finally settling down.

No one was as happy, though, as Edward and Bella.

And nothing could keep the smiles off of their faces when Bella became pregnant with their first child. A son. Their first son.

Tristan Charles Cullen couldn't have looked more alike to his father if anyone tried. He was like a carbon copy of his father. And he was a complete momma's boy.

That didn't mean that he didn't love his father. Edward had loved his son from the very first moment. Holding his son in his arms for the first time only made his love grow. Nothing could bring Edward down then. He split his time between practice on the field and taking care of his family off of the field. Bella and Tristan were on the stands at all games, cheering on Edward whether it was at a home game or an away game.

The Chicago Bears blew through the play offs and into the Superbowl. Everything only got better and better when Bella told Edward that she was pregnant once again.

And there she stood, beaming among the cheering crowd at the Super Bowl for the second time. Five months pregnant and looking just as beautiful as he'd first seen her.

"Edward Cullen, now that you've won the Super Bowl," a reporter shouted over the mass of crowd that surrounded the team, "what will you do?"

Edward grinned and laughed when Emmett jumped forward, wrapping an arm around Edward's shoulder.

"We're going to Disneyworld!" Emmett cheered and Edward nodded his agreement.

He pushed through the mass of reporters, trying to get to his wife who was sitting on the bleachers with Tristan bouncing at her side. She knew better than to try and go through the mass of fans and reporters. And she wouldn't risk losing her son in the chaos.

"Hello, love." Edward grinned and smiled when Tristan rushed forward, hugging his leg tightly.

"Daddy!" his three year old son cheered. "We go to Dithney?!"

Edward chuckled and picked Tristan up, throwing him up in the air and catching him as he fell back down. Tristan laughed gleefully, clutching onto Edward's shoulder pads to keep from falling or being thrown up into the air again. He was like a little koala.

"Another win, huh?" Bella grinned as she slowly stood up to her feet and walked over to him. "Congratulations, baby." She grinned and laughed when Edward pulled her close, kissing her deeply.

Tristan squealed, exclaiming his disgust as the cameras flashed around them rapidly. They were used to it by now. But their son's reaction to their PDA always made them laugh. Bella pulled away and giggled, pressing a smacking kiss on Tristan's cheek making him giggle loudly.

"Why don't you go celebrate with Uncle Jazzy?" Bella asked Tristan as soon as she spotted Alice and Jasper walking over to them and trying to make their way through the fans and reporters that were crowding around Edward, Bella, and Tristan quickly.

"Yesh!" he cheered and wiggled his way out of his father's arms and jumped into Jasper's arms as soon as he was close enough.

"Whoa, kiddo! You almost got me there," Jasper grinned down at his godson. He turned over to Edward and pulled him in a one-armed hug, grinning widely as he congratulated him.

"Congratulations, man! Emmet's going crazy back there with the press," Jasper laughed as he nodded towards their brother who was smiling for the cameras and milking it for all it was worth. Bella giggled and shook her head at him.

"I wanted to thank you, Jazz!" Edward called over the mass of reporters.

"Me? For what?" Jasper asked, looking confused.

"For her," Edward said, watching as Bella laughed to herself as she watched Rose step in and pull Emmett from the spotlight which made him pout. Alice was all over the place, trying to handle the commotion and direct the press with the security guards back towards the press conference that was awaiting the winners.

Jasper smiled and shook his head, looking over towards Bella. His best friend was pregnant with the second child of her husband and his other best friend.

"She was the one who stumbled over _me_, Edward." Jasper chuckled. Edward grinned in response.

"But its because of you that she's our friend. And that I finally got the guts to ask her out." Edward said. "So thanks. I don't know where I'd be without Bella."

"Even after all of those years of waiting?" Jasper asked him disbelieving.

"I think that they made us better. We knew what we wanted and we weren't going to let our dreams go. But we weren't going to let each other go either. I'm glad that she got to sing," Edward said truthfully.

"True, true." Jasper murmured. "And its not like she doesn't sing anymore. She still sings at a few concerts every now and then. And then she sings to the kids."

"Yeah. Bella Jr. likes the sound of her voice," Edward grinned.

"You are _not_ calling our child _Bella Jr._ if she's a girl," Bella said, interrupting them. Tristan giggled, his arms wrapped around her legs tightly.

"We'd know if you agreed to know the sex of our child," Edward murmured and she laughed, not in the least intimidated by his scowl which quickly turned into a frown.

"You can wait." Bella rolled her eyes and he pouted at her.

"But I don't wanna," he whined and Tristan giggled again.

"You see, Charlie?" Bella asked her son with a grin. "Your daddy's a big baby."

Jasper chuckled and took Tristan away as he laughed at his father's antics.

"Don't you love me?" Edward asked her quietly as they walked over towards the locker rooms for him to change.

"What kind of question is that?" Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "Of course I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled crookedly at her and she blushed. His smiles always made her feel warm inside. Because in it, Edward's eyes practically sparkled at her and dazzled her. "And I told you I'd always love you. But you insist on teasing me."

"Teasing you?" she giggled.

"Yes. You're just stunning." He said making her blush. She giggled and kissed him quickly.

"Thank you," she said, swallowing back the urge to deflect his compliment. He'd told her long ago that he wanted her to accept his words because he wouldn't ever lie to her. And that if he told her that she was beautiful then she was. "And you're the most handsome man I've ever seen."

He chuckled and kissed her deeply.

Even after all of these years, they hadn't changed. Not their love, at least. It was as strong as ever, if not stronger. They had always been sure of each other, always sure of their love. And that wasn't going to change. They'd gone through life's harsh lessons and accepted them in their own way. But in the end, they had each other.

Bella still loved music. Edward still loved football. And they'd more than achieved their dreams despite whatever anyone else might say. But now they had something more to love; their growing family and friends. And that was all that really mattered in the end. Because that was all they needed.

* * *

**A/N: Can someone pass me a tissue? I had a really hard time writing this chapter because this was the end of it. Well, I wrote some outtakes but won't post them up unless you guys want them. They're kind of the other reason why I rated this M... if you get what I mean. So tell me what you think! **

**Thank you for those of you who have stuck with me through the very beginning and those of you who joined along for the ride in the middle. Your reviews did it for me and I just wanted to say that they are as much appreciated as all of you are :) THANK YOU!**

**In other news, I have been having questions of a sequel. As much as I would like to, no. There will not be a sequel to Passing the High Note. I didn't plan on writing one when I started to write it or when I finished it. And even if I did write a sequel, it would only come out forced which is not something that I want. I wanted to finish this story before the end of the year and I have. And I'm so happy! XD**

**To name some authors to thank:**

**sujari6**

**yagalinus0420**

**Taylor9901**

**Kgunter34**

**armywife1979**

**thelionismine**

**sandyl67**

**jaspersgal1861**

**rocklesson86**

**jupiter2005**

**Can I just say thank you to all of you for all of your support and encouraging and entertaining words? THANK YOU! hahaha This list has its own rhyme and reason, that which only my head can understand I suppose. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed and tell me what you think on the next subject...**

**Lemony outtake or no outtake?**


	32. Outtake: Chicago Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

_**Full Summary:**_ _Bella moves to Forks to live with her dad after trying to get away from her past which seemed to be everywhere back in Phoenix. Along the way of trying to heal herself and putting a show for everyone in the town, she does not expect to make friends... much less meet a captivating green-eyed boy that just so happens to be her new friend's best friend. Maybe he can help her. Or maybe her past will catch up to her and make her run like she did in the past. Or maybe, just maybe... she'll fall in love._

**Rated: M** for language and adult themes... and possible lemons ;)

**A/N: Um so here we go... Outtake 1 XD And for those of you who don't want to read it after I say, LEMON WARNING!, well all I can say is that I told you so. Thank you all for reading... aaaand yeah. Don't know what else to say. But here we go!**

* * *

It was cold out and I couldn't stop shaking. But it wasn't for the obvious weather reasons. The excitement around me buzzed and filled me up. It almost seemed too good to be true, being here again. My plans took a detour but it all worked out. I had Alice on my side, after all.

My assigned body guards were with me and even though they were in casual clothes to disguise themselves like I was currently doing, their height and body build drew attention.

Eleazar was the head of my security and had been with me ever since I'd signed the contract with Patriot Records. He was an old friend of Carlisle and Esme's. And even though I had a hard time adjusting with my growing fame, I would never doubt those two people in my life. If they trusted Eleazar Domicci, I trusted him too.

He had twelve men working for him on my security detail and had them take shifts.

Overall, Esme took care of me and made sure that everything was settled after she had accepted the position as my agent and manager. She, too, had her own team of people.

She got me good publicity and always kept me on track and updated, assuring me that I didn't have to lose myself whenever the numbers of my fanbase grew. And I was and would always be forever grateful for Esme Cullen. She kept me grounded.

Some people say that the fame and money could get to you.

Not me. Of course, a lot of things had changed over the last two years. I'd graduated from Forks High School with my best friends and the team. I'd signed the next seven years of my life away to a life of papparazzi and singing tours. A life on the road and screaming fans.

It was exhilerating and scary all at the same time.

And even though I loved it to pieces, I regretted not having _him_ at my side. I wished that we would have been able to see more of each other. We tried to make plans for the holidays when our monthly visits dwindled, but those too fell flat.

I hadn't seen Edward in five months now. And there was a limit to how much phone calls, e-mails, text messages, Skype, Facebook, and Instant Messaging could do for me until I couldn't handle it anymore. We were always missing each other. If I called him when I finally came up for air in between rehearsals and concerts, he would be sleeping or out on the field, practicing. If he called me when _he_ finally got away from film study and practicing out on the field, I was out trying to appease my fans with my presence.

And I'd had enough.

Before I'd made a commitment to my new life, I'd made a promise to Edward.

That we would be okay. That we would be together. And that we would be happy.

We were _not_ okay. We were certainly _not together_. And based off of our last phone call, our feeling were mutual; we were not happy. At. All.

The distance was killing me. The frustration was building and I knew that I needed to get out.

So I had ditched out on guest starring on Conan, cancelling last minute when I realized that the Chicago Bears were playing the Arizona Wildcats. It wasn't exactly a decision that Esme was happy with at first but after I had made myself clear as well as my plan, she'd agreed.

Mom was awesome.

She'd managed to smooth things over and had made up a cover story, saying that I had a family emergency up North. It was epic. While the paparazzi and my fans would be keeping an eye out for me up North, I'd be down South in the state closer to California.

Arizona. It was hot and certainly not fun. But I loved the scenery coming down here. And I was in high spirits, knowing _why_ I was coming down here. And for who.

My boyfriend, Edward Cullen, had skyrocketed to fame as the Chicago Bears' "All-American, All-Grizzly" quarterback. He was constantly in the magazines, being featured for his victories and "panty-dropping crooked smile." _My _crooked smile.

Yeah, I was a bit possessive.

But who wouldn't be? Edward was completely gorgeous and I knew it. Hell, everyone knew it now that his face was always in the newspapers. He led his team into victory so many time that he was fawned over by not only football fans but the ladies as well.

And yet, no one knew that we were in a relationship.

As hard as it was, Esme had agreed with us when we told her that we didn't want it public. I'd kind of wanted her to argue but I understood her reasoning. If anyone thought that either of us was taken, there would be havoc. From both our fanbases. But to be completely honest, Esme's words, not mine, the paparazzi would try their damndest to cause drama between us. Drama that neither of us wanted.

So we'd stayed silent.

Of course, I'd gotten questioned about the platinum band on my ring finger at every interview that I went to. But I had no intention of saying anything and no intention of taking it off. I knew that they would eventually stop asking about it and Esme agreed with me, although her agreement was a bit reluctant.

I would deal with it.

Well, here I was. In Arizona, not California, in an attempt to surprise my boyfriend.

I knew that we would probably not have time to see each other. And I would most likely be recognized in this gigantic stadium by one person or another. Whether they chose to make a scene or not was their choice.

My fingers twisted and played with my ring, as I lowered my Chicago Bears cap over my eyes when the team burst out from the lockers. Screams and shouts of excitement echoed all around me. But all I could do was look for _him._ I wouldn't be able to spot him because he always made a habit of putting his helmet on even before the game started. But I could still look for his name.

And I knew, when the cheers elevated from the Chicago fans, that Edward had stepped out on the field. Slowly standing up, I smiled when my eyes finally spotted him.

I could feel the familiar buzz in my body from being around him. And even though it was faint because he was so damned far away, I could still feel it. The tension in my shoulders melted away and the gaping hole that I'd felt since I'd last seen him in person slowly filled up with his presence.

He was too far away too touch or speak to but he was close. Closer than he'd been in a long time. For a second, I could see that he felt it too. And his head moved from side to side as if he were searching before his attention was pulled away.

I sighed quietly, not knowing what I would do if he'd caught me before the game was up. I didn't want him to be distracted. But a selfish part of me wanted his attention.

I shook my head to myself, knowing that I couldn't have it both ways. I calmed myself down with the reminder that I would see him later. Everything was already arranged.

The coin was tossed and I watched as Edward called the second half. Emmett slapped his back while the other two football captains, Jeremy and Kyle, laughed loudly. Tension buzzed in the air as the game began and I watched with baited breath as everything fell into place.

I tried to keep my eyes on the ball as the game progressed but my eyes constantly drew back to Edward. I watched him. His movements, his orders, his calls, and his plays. I'd managed to tape all of his games up until now. I was actually having Alice record this one at my apartment while I was here.

But I hadn't been to one of his games since his first season playing. I'd only made it to three of the games. And that was with him knowing. I hadn't told him that I'd be coming this time. Emmett and Jasper didn't know either. At least I hoped they didn't.

That would sort of ruin my plans.

My leg bounced anxiously as I watched Edward pass the ball off to Jasper who fumbled with it momentarily before taking off. Emmett blocked a tackle aimed for Edward before rushing after Jasper to try and shield him. I smiled, happy to see that nothing had really changed.

Edward had stuck by his serious comment of me not playing football after we graduated. And I'd indulged him. I knew that he was always worrying over me when I was out on the field. For every play, every uttered hint, every tackle, and every dog pile I was forced under, his eyes had always been on me.

I know that it should have somehow bugged me. But that was just Edward being protective. And boy, was he protective! He'd stayed in constant contact with Eleazar and Esme when he couldn't talk to me. Eventually, Eleazar got used to his 3 am phone calls. He indulged him, knowing that Edward couldn't sleep well without knowing how I was and if I was safe in my apartment.

There were several nights when I had to wake up at two in the morning to Eleazar checking in on me at Edward's insistance.

It was borderline ridiculous. And frustrating. And... sweet.

This was just Edward being Edward. This was the behavior of the man that I'd fallen in love with. And I knew that I loved him when I didn't yell at him for making Eleazar barge into my bathroom when I took too long because I was checking the bags under my eyes after washing my hands. Nearly made me poke my eye out too. He might have seemed overbearing to others but I knew that Edward naturally panicked when he couldn't get in touch with me.

He managed it most of the time through Eleazar.

I bounced in my seat when Jasper made it to the field goal. I laughed elatedly when the crowd literally went wild, cheering for the first touchdown of the game. And so it went on.

My eyes drifted back to Edward as he called out another play. And I could swear that his eyes locked onto mine for a moment. When he did a double take, I heard someone to my left gasp loudly.

"Cover's blown. Tighten in on Cygnus," Eleazar muttered into his hidden earpiece. I kept my face neutral when someone loudly shouted my name, drawing attention immediately.

I blushed when all of the fans around me turned around in their seats to openly gawk at me. But I was staring back at Edward who was now smiling widely.

_"It appears we have a celebrity visiting the Bears! Hello, Isabella Swan!"_ I laughed at the voice of the announcer as the jumbotron up above the field strayed from the game. The image switched from a cheering Emmett to my blushing face.

Giggling, I waved my fingers a bit and smiled at the people that were sitting around me while still keeping eye contact with Edward.

Jasper and Emmett had reached Edward by this point and were talking to him silently. I knew by this point that I had to pay attention more to the game now. I couldn't let my eyes wander to my secret boyfriend because everyone was watching me. And they were watching where I was watching.

The game continued after a brief pause at the announcement of my presence and I smiled when Edward made the next touchdown himself. The game went on and I watched him once again lead his team to victory.

It was a massacre and I hoped no one would notice that Edward was suddenly upping his game in my presence. I chuckled to myself as the game ended and the teams rushed into their locker rooms to change. I watched as my best friends and boyfriend momentarily paused, stalling as I too stood up to leave.

Smiling, I regretted that I couldn't do more than that, I glanced down at them from my spot on the bleachers and lowered my cap before entering the crowd with my security detail. Eleazar was at my elbow and two of his men were subtly making a path for me while keeping close at the same time.

I sighed as I looked out at the field once more. It was empty.

And I knew that I shouldn't have expected more. But I wish that I could've run down to him. To congratulate him for the win. To kiss him. To hug him. To cry and apologize for taking so long to see him.

"At the room," Eleazar reminded me quietly and I nodded before turning and leaving.

It was hell getting out of the stadium. Everyone wanted an autograph and eventually security had to come and escort me down to my car. Eleazar quickly made the transfer after seven minutes of mindless driving, telling me that everything was prepared and set out.

Alice had arranged for him to have Edward's schedule and only he would know my real whereabouts in Arizona. Anyone suspecting would be paid off or diverted.

Eleazar had us switch vehicles with one of the other men of the security team and so we quickly lost any remaining following paparazzi. The hotel was packed when we arrived; reporters were crowding around the front where the team had arrived so Eleazar quickly slipped me in and helped me up to my room.

The reserved room that was directly adjacent to Emmett and Jasper's room. Edward's room was across the hall. And no one knew this because the Coach would be too distracted by Jasper and Emmett playing a prank on him and the assistant Coach. Eleazar only nodded to me when we entered my room, telling me that Alice had already called Emmett and Jasper.

"Thanks, El," I smiled and he rolled his eyes at my nickname. He'd get used to it eventually.

"I will be a phone call away should you need anything," he nodded and swiftly exited the room.

I paced the room anxiously, knowing that Edward would be here any moment. I twisted my ring between my fingers, an anxious habit that I'd formed. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to always zero in on my ring whenever I'd do it. And then the questions would always begin because I'd given them their opening.

I barely heard the foot steps stop in front of the room and then there was a hesitant knock on the hotel suite's door. I rushed over and looked through the peep hole before throwing the door open and pulling him in. The door had barely slammed closed before his arms were around me.

"You're here," he breathed and I laughed as I pulled away, shoving my hair out of my face.

"Surprise," I beamed up at him and his face broke out into a wide grin before he pressed his lips to mine.

"Best," _kiss_, "fucking surprise," _kiss_, "ever!"

I giggled and trailed my hands up his abs and over his shoulders. He groaned loudly when my fingers tugged at his hair. I moaned in return when he deepened the kiss, pressing me against the door.

"I love you, I'm sorry. Sorry. So sorry," I whispered in between the kisses.

He pulled away, looking out of breath and flushed.

"What could you possibly be sorry for, love?" he asked me, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I stayed away too long. I should've come sooner. We keep on missing each other by seconds and it shouldn't have gotten so far that you have to contact me through the head of my security," I whispered shamefully as I bowed my head.

"Hey, none of that," he lifted my chin up with his finger. "Look at me, love." He sighed when I didn't and pressed a kiss to my nose. "Bella," he whispered softly.

My eyes welled with tears as I glanced up at him.

"We need to figure things out, _that's_ a given," he said and chuckled a bit. "But in order to figure things out, we'll be making mistakes and stumble through a few things. None of it matters if I end up having you in my arms."

I bit my bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

"I shouldn't be crying," I mumbled quietly and he kissed me again, slowly this time. I kissed him back and sighed softly as the passion slowly grew between us until I was pulling away this time, out of breath. "I shouldn't be crying because this is something to celebrate. We're together again and you've just won another game. I'm so proud of you, honey."

He grinned at my endearment and chuckled. I watched as the tops of his ears tinged pink as he blushed and smiled to myself.

"Did you enjoy the game?" he asked me shyly.

"How could I not? My favorite quarterback was playing," I whispered, smiling up at him and he beamed back at me.

"I missed you, love. God, I missed you," he groaned as he pulled me away from the door and walked me out of the small living room and into the bedroom. "I want you," he groaned against my lips and I moaned softly. "I need you, Bella."

"Please," I whispered when he slipped his hand under my shirt, tracing my skin until he was teasing my nipple.

"I love it when you make those sounds, love." He groaned into my mouth as I gasped at his ministrations. The heat began to build in my belly and I knew that it would soon become a raging inferno if we kept up this slow pace.

After all, Edward loved to tease me until I was begging.

But two could play at that game. I grinned as I pulled away, my fingers making quick work of his belt and pants. He groaned softly as his pressed soft kisses to my neck, urging me on. As I began to pull his pants down with his boxers, he quickly pulled away and pulled my shirt over my head.

Our movements were getting more and more frantic and insistent as we pulled and tugged the other's clothes.

"Did you lock the door?" he whispered against my jaw.

"It locks by itself," I gasped and pulled away. I pressed my lips to his and smiled when I realized that we were naked. Finally.

I dropped down to my knees in front of him before he could say anything. And the next noise that came out of his mouth was an unrestrained moan as I wrapped my mouth around his large cock.

Besides the fact that we hadn't seen each other or really talk in months, I'd missed this. Being with him. Edward had been my first. For everything. And he would be my last.

Eight months ago, we managed to get away from everything for two weeks. No interruptions. No phone calls. No auditions or rehearsals. No practices. No film study.

And he'd romanced me before making love to me for the first time. It was the best time of my life. I knew that it would be happening so I'd gone on my Depo shot and had been getting it since then. I think that had been what had made our sudden separation so frustrating.

We'd finally taken another step in our relationship only to step back when we were away. Phone sex just had no appeal without Edward there with me. And if he was there with me like he was now, then it wouldn't exactly be phone sex.

His loud moan brought me to the present and I sucked and licked at him, sliding my hands up and down the back of his thighs before grabbing a hold of his deliciously firm ass.

"Bella, love, ugh, oh God," he grunted as I took him in deeper. "Please, Bella. Oh, ugh! I'm, I'm cumming!"

Yup. And that was how it was done.

I swallowed every last bit before pulling back and smiling to myself.

Althought my Edward could tease and sure as hell meet up with his teasing, he was incredibly easy.

But before I could get too smug with myself, he pulled me up to my feet and crashed his lips to mine. I moaned loudly when he shoved his tongue into my mouth and proceeded to show me what he wanted to do with me.

We fell into to bed and as I crawled back to get myself more comfortable, he crawled forward, looking very much like a predator.

"God, I love that mouth of yours," he whispered before crashing his lips to mine.

His fingers ghosted over my skin as they descended until they were over my bare and very wet pussy. My eyes rolled into the back of my head when he slowly worked me up with his fingers, groaning about how I was so wet and tight.

"I missed you. I missed you so much, love." he groaned as he peppered kisses over my face when I reached my climax at his will. "God, you're so beautiful."

As he settled in between my legs, I wrapped my arms around around him and lightly scraped by nails down his back. He stiffened and I could immediately feel him harden at my entrance.

"You like that, don't you? My kinky Edward," I grinned up at him and he groaned aloud as he slowly entered me. I slowly scraped my nails down his back again and he bucked forward, making me gasp loudly as he completely filled me.

"Don't tease me, love." he whispered against my jaw as he slowly moved.

"Who's teasing?" I whimpered as he pulled out slowly only to slam back in. I pulled my leg up, wrapping it around his waist and making him go in deeper. If that was even possible.

I moaned loudly. _Yeah. It was._

"So good, Bella. Too good." He whispered as he set up a rhythm. "You're so good to me, Bella. I love you. God, I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered, lightly brushing my lips against his. He groaned and pressed his lips against mine fiercely.

I cried quietly as he made love to me, whispering sweet nothings and endearments in my ear as our bodies became one. For this moment we were inseperable. And I would always remember this moment. Always cherish it.

Because he loved me. And I loved him. And he showed me in the purest way. And I would always accept him.

It was beautiful. It was magic. And it felt like what it was. I was loved.

He held me tighter in his arms as I climaxed and only continued. I wanted him to reach his own euphoria. But it was only when he made me quickly reach my climax again that I felt him release in me.

When he collapsed on me, I immediately wrapped my arms around him in an attempt to keep there. He never wanted to hurt me and had made it a habit of always trying to keep his weight off of me whenever we made love.

"That bad?" he grinned widely as he wiped away my tears, pulling me on top of his chest when he understood my need to stay close.

"That beautiful," I whispered, repeating the words as always. He chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

"You are," he nodded and I rolled my eyes this time.

We fell silent, knowing that our time was limited. He had to return to Chicago and I had to go back to Los Angeles.

"Thank you for coming to the game, Bella. I... it..." he stopped, looking at a loss for words.

"Do you think I would pass up a chance to be with you?" I snuggled closer and he chuckled quietly.

"So you only want me for my body," he teased but when I looked up at him, I realized that there was an uncertainty that wasn't there before.

Smiling up at him, I pressed a kiss above his heart. I slowly pulled my arm out from where his arms pinned it to my side. He tried to stop me but I quickly grabbed his hand in my left hand.

"I love you for who you are. A kind, loving, giving, and selfless man," I whispered and he smiled a bit at me. "That, and you made a promise to me. Your body's just a bonus," I winked, trying to lighten the mood.

It helped.

He laughed loudly, making me shake on top of him and have him pull out of me. I immediately felt the loss but smiled when he kissed our joined hands. His beautiful green eyes seemed to brighten at my words and only shined when he caught sight of my promise ring.

"You love me," he whispered.

"I love you, I wanna kiss you," I sang and squealed when he flipped me over and tickled me. "Stop! Stop! I give!" I gasped and chuckled when he silenced me with a soft, loving kiss. His fingers stopped their wiggling and instead flattened over my sides, soothing the ache of my incessant laughter.

"I love you too," he smiled when he pulled away and I smiled up at him.

"I know Edward. That's why you're marrying me one day," I said with as much of a straight face as I could manage and squealed when he began to tickle me again.

"I am going to marry you," he nodded and I beamed up at him. "Soon. But until then, we need to stay in touch better."

I could only agree with him.

* * *

**A/N: So if you haven't figured it out, this was a few years before the Epi. Thanks for reading :) Tell me what you think lol**

**Don't know if I'll be writing another story... school's closing in. But I'm glad I did this at least. Thank you to all of you who have stayed with me or reviewed. You guys made this a great thing for me. I don't have any other complete stories so I'm gonna work on a few of them before I even think of posting another one up... there's too many to choose from really! Anyways, I might need a beta. If anyone's interested, PM me or write me :) In truth, I don't want to update anything after February cuz things are going to get really crazy at my house. Maybe I can work something out before but I'll definitely post another story before the end of next year. Vague, I know and I'm sorry but there's just a lot of things I'm anticipating and they need my full attention. Thanks guys, love ya!**

**- Eli**


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